Rider Time: Horae Magica
by monkeycyborgninja
Summary: "According to this book, ordinary middle schooler Nakazawa Sougo is destined to become the demonic Ruler of Time: Oma Zi-O. In a world where a tragic fate has repeated itself, over and over again like clockwork, can such an unremarkable boy break the cycle of Hope and Despair, and bring about a brighter future? Well, I suppose you will have to read to find out, now won't you?"
1. Prolog im Himmel 2018

**A/N: Hey guys, MCN here bringing you yet another Madoka Magica crossover fic... cue the "_Aw shit, here we go again_" meme. So, funny story about this fic, similar to Gamer Riders, it's a collaboration with one of my friends on this site, an author by the username of Variable Zero. He came to me with this idea back when Kamen Rider Zi-O was just getting started, and as the show went on we just kept adding ideas to it until we eventually just had pretty much the entire story planned out, from major story beats to running gags. In the end, I felt it was a waste to just let the story remain as just an outline, so I decided to crank out the first chapter while I'm waiting on my beta reader for Reconnect to get back to me. **

**So yeah, here's the first chapter, hope you guys enjoy it, and I'll see you at the end.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kamen Rider Zi-O or Puella Magi Madoka Magica**

* * *

**Prolog im Himmel 2018**

_The sound of heavy footfalls echoed as a lone boy ran down an eerily empty hallway of checkered black and white, illuminated by a blinding light that shown through the tall windows on his left. His heavy breathing only became heavier as he began ascending a long winding staircase, the third of which that he had encountered thus far. _

"…_Damn it, where_ is_ she? Come to think of it… where am _I?_" The boy said between tired breaths._

_He could have sworn that he had entered the same building his classmate had, which as far as he knew was just a normal office building shared by a travel agency and a bank. However, halfway up his ascension, in search of the girl that had eluded him, he suddenly found himself in a strange, monochrome world, filled with hallways that twisted and warped as he ran through them, and staircases that felt as though they went on forever and led to nowhere. _

"_What is she even doing out here, doesn't she know it's dangerous? We need to hurry up and get to a shelter!" He asserted, ignoring the inherent strangeness of his surroundings and pressed on with his search. _

_Eventually, the staircase led into a long, seemingly unsupported platform, at the end of which was a tall, heavy duty door marked as an exit by the florescent green sign above it, the first truly recognizable thing the boy had seen in this strange, topsy-turvy place. He took a moment to catch his breath before stepping forward and struggling to open the hatch on the exit. It turned, slowly be surely, the tumblers that held it shut loudly clicking out of place until, finally, the door opened. The boy used his own weight to swing the door to the side, and was met with a blast of frigid air, made even colder by the breeze created from his elevation and the heavy storm raging outside. _

_The boy rushed out onto the rooftop and looked around frantically for the girl he was searching for… or at least, that was his intention, but as soon as he crossed the threshold, his attention was immediately grabbed by the chaotic scene before him. Up in the sky, among the overcast that blocked out the sun, was the silhouette of what seemed to be a ridiculously large woman, dressed in an extravagant, frilled dress and a headdress that ended in two points on either side of its head. It laughed in the face of gravity as it hung from an enormous spinning gear, and orbiting around it were hunks of destroyed skyscrapers, highways, and other debris it had presumably collected on its rampage through Mitakihara City. _

"_What… what is that!?" The boy exclaimed as he stared up at the being with shock and horror. _

_When the initial shock wore off, he let his gaze drop, falling on a rooftop across the devastation where a smaller figure stood. It was a girl, no older than him, her long black hair blowing in the breeze as she stared intently at the inhuman figure above them._

"_Hey, isn't that…" _

_The boy couldn't even finish the thought before the girl leaped off the rooftop, reaching unnatural heights impossible for an ordinary human as she propelled herself towards the figure in the sky. The figure itself didn't move a muscle, instead the very debris around it moved in to defend, a few stories of a destroyed skyscraper throwing itself at the approaching girl who noticed just a second too late._

"_No!" The boy cried as he watched the girl be crushed by the building, rushing forward as if to give aid but was barred passage by the railing that bordered the rooftop. He held his breath, hoping beyond hope that whatever power the girl possessed included superhuman durability, and any second now she would come bursting out from the debris._

_Fortunately, the girl did indeed survive, appearing in a flash of purple light, much to the boy's relief. However, that relief was short lived as the girl suddenly had to dodge a barrage of what seemed to be blasts of magical fire, evading one such strike before guarding against another with a small buckler shield strapped to her petit arm. _

"_Come on, you can do it!" The boy found himself cheering, as if this cataclysmic scene were the climax of a movie or an anime. _

"_It's pointless.__" The mysterious voice pulled boy's attention away from the battle. Where before he had been alone on the abandoned rooftop, he was now joined by a figure in all black, his face shrouded by the unnatural shadow of a wide brimmed hat. His voice was distant and distorted, despite standing right next to the boy and his words coming through clearly, even over the harsh wind and sounds of battle. "__Observe.__" _

_The figure in black turned the boy's attention back to the battle, the girl frantically evading spell fire as she advanced on the figure in the sky. Unfortunately, she failed to avoid a single, powerful blast of magical energy, sending her flying back and crashing into the oversized branches of a shadowy three that had no business sprouting in the middle of the city. The boy winced at the painful looking blow, the girl remaining prone in the tree, as something else had seemed to catch her attention. The boy followed her gaze to a platform of floating debris in the distance, upon which stood a third figure, whose petit frame and bright pink hair the boy instantly recognized._

"_Kaname-san!" He cried, finally finding the girl he had been searching for. He turned to rush back into the building, prepared to climb all the way back down and to where it was that his classmate, Kaname Madoka, had found herself. _

"_There's no point in rushing to her side.__" The boy stopped halfway to the door when the figure in black spoke. "__It's already too late. This scene has been played out countless times before, and every single time it has ended in ruin. This time shall be no different.__" He delivered the dooming revelation so matter-of-factly that it deeply disturbed the boy, the finality of what he said unable to be contested._

"_No way… then, what'll happen to _them?_" The boy desperately asked, the figure's silence being all the answer he needed. _

_He looked on helplessly as the girl with the shield desperately tried to stand and continue the fight, while his classmate looked on as well, equally as powerless and horrified as he was. The boy's fists clenched in frustration, his gaze falling to the floor in despair. _

"_Is… is there anything I can do?" _

_It was a ridiculous question, born from desperation than anything else. Of course there was nothing he could do, he was just an ordinary middle school student with no stand out qualities whatsoever; a background character, useless and utterly forgettable in every way. Whatever disaster had befallen his home, what could he hope to do that could turn the tides of fate? After all, he was just plain old…_

"_Yes, there is.__" The boy immediately raised his head at the figure in black's reply, a glimmer of hope surfacing in the sea of shock and disbelief in his widened eyes. The figure in black then turned on his heel and approached him. "__These disastrous events are destined to repeat themselves, over and over again, like clockwork.__" The figure said, now standing before the boy. "__If you truly wish to overcome this terrible fate, and bring about a brighter future, then you must… become a king.__" _

_The figure in black reached into his pocket and pulled forth a strange, round metallic object, its gunmetal grey body encasing incomprehensible gears and circuitry, exposed to the world by an incomplete faceplate. He offered the object to the boy, who, after a moment of hesitation, accepted it. _

"_Become… a king?" The boy repeated dubiously, examining the strange device with curiosity and confusion. _

_Before he could ponder the instruction any further, the boy needed to shield his eyes from a sudden blinding light shining in the distance. His eyes failed to adjust as the light grew brighter and brighter, but he _was_ able to make out that it was coming from the same platform Kaname Madoka had stood on. _

"_What… what's happening!? Kaname-san! KANAME-SAN!" He desperately cried as he struggled to see what became of his classmate._

_Suddenly, he was thrown back by a powerful shockwave, disorienting him even further before he was knocked completely off of the building, screaming in utter terror as he fell to his death._

* * *

"GYAH!"

Nakazawa Sougo let out a pained yelp as he felt himself hit his bedroom floor. A sharp pain pounded through his head from the point of impact, and his sheets were in a tangled mess on the floor next to him, having followed as he rolled off of his bed in his sleep.

"Ugh… what a crazy dream..." He mused as he sluggishly sat himself up. He reached up to rub the sore spot on the back of his head, only to be met with the cold, hard feeling of metal. "Huh?"

He pulled back his hand curiously, discovering it to be occupied by a strange, metal object he held firmly in his grasp.

"What's this?" He inquired, examining the device. It vaguely reminded him of an analogue stopwatch, a single button up top connected to a series of small gears and circuitry, exposed by the missing clock face.

"…Guess I must've picked this up from the shop by mistake." He lazily deduced with an uninterested shrug.

With that, Sougo picked himself up off the ground and threw the broken watch onto his bed, sleepily marching over to his closet and retrieving his school uniform. Once he was dressed, he took a quick look at himself in the mirror. He looked… normal, like he did on any other given day, just regular old Nakazawa Sougo. He reached up to his plain brown hair, contemplating if he should try to style it in some way. Try to spice up his appearance, even if just by a little. However, he ended up just fixing the natural parting of his bangs, framing his forehead just like they always did.

With a forlorn sigh, Sougo grabbed his school bag and made his way downstairs, only to pause and quickly grab the broken watch from his bed before leaving his room. He passed his uncle's room on the second floor and climbed the stairs down to the repair shop on the ground floor. It was easy for anyone to guess what the shop specialized in repairing, as clocks of all shapes and sizes lined every inch of the walls of Sougo's home. Each one was set to a different, arbitrary time, but besides that they were all in perfect working order.

Sougo quickly slipped behind the front counter and left the broken watch on his uncle's workbench, confident that the old clocksmith would know what to do with it. He let out a tired yawn as he passed through an archway and into a small dining room, his breakfast already served.

"Good morning, Uncle." Sougo groggily greeted as he tried to wipe the sleep from his eyes.

"Ah, good morning, Sougo-kun." Sougo's great-uncle, Nakazawa Junichiro greeted as he finished setting the table for breakfast. He was an older man in his mid-fifties, his short black hair beginning to grey. He wore a black pinstripe vest over a dark yellow long sleeved shirt, and a pair of black, square rimmed glasses over his wrinkled eyes.

Sougo sat across from his uncle at the breakfast table, two sunny-side up eggs and a slice of toast beaconing to him on his plate. The hungry young boy quickly gave thanks for the meal and dug in, starting with a sip of coffee from his mug.

"The coffee's a little cold today." He immediately noticed.

"Well, it would have been warm if you had woken up on time." Junichiro playfully scolded, his point emphasized by his nephew letting out another yawn.

"Sorry, I didn't get much sleep last night." Sougo said as he took a bite of his eggs.

"Well, I suppose you were just excited about that new transfer student, huh?" Junichiro deduced, recalling the news his nephew had reported the day before.

"I wouldn't say I'm excited, more like… nervous." Sougo admitted.

It was rare for Mitakihara Middle School to have students transfer in from other schools, let alone in the middle of the school term, so when his class was informed that they would be receiving a transfer student it quickly became the talk of the school. The problem for Sougo was that since the only available seat was right next to him, his teacher had asked him to make sure the new student felt welcome. It would have been a simple request for anyone else, but it was quite the monumental task for the socially inexperienced boy.

"I just hope they end up being someone I can get along with." Sougo hoped, anxiously fidgeting with his utensils.

"…Well, whatever kind of person they end up being, you'll miss your chance to welcome them if you're late for class, so go ahead and eat up." Junichiro urged cheerfully, the boy immediately snapping out of his melancholic daze and quickly scarfing down his food, much to the old man's amusement.

"I'm off!" Sougo called from the doorway as he rushed out, just barely hearing his uncle reply with a "have a good day".

Sougo went to fetch his bicycle parked out in front of the shop entrance, but just as he was about to undo the kickstand, he noticed that sitting on the bike seat was the broken watch he had woken up with that morning.

"Huh? I thought I left this inside?" Sougo said, picking up the device and looking it over, as if it would give some kind of answer as to how it ended up outside on his bike seat.

Unfortunately, time was the essence, so he simply placed the watch by the entrance and hopped onto this bike, pedaling down the street off on his way to school.

* * *

Mitakihara Middle School was about as lively as one would expect an institution filled to the brim with young tweens to be. However, it was especially lively on this particular day, as the students were a buzz with the news of the new transfer student. Many students rambled and gossiped about what kind of person the new arrival would be, why they were transferring, and some even took to trying to guess which from the sea of faces flowing into the school could be the new student. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to the chattering students, a lone figure stood on the roof of the main building, looking out over the swath of young boys and girls in search of a single one.

The figure wore a rather over-stylized greenish brown coat, a grey scarf wrapped around his shoulders and up over his head, masking his face. In his hand was a large book, open up to a certain page that the figure seemed to skim before returning his gaze to the incoming students. Eventually he found his quarry, a young boy slipping through the front gate on his bicycle and pedaling over to the bike racks. The hooded figure cracked a satisfied smile before turning away from the rooftop fence, disappearing from view.

"Just made it." Sougo sighed with relief as he parked his bike and secured it with his bike lock. He grabbed his bag from the basket and made his way to the front entrance, only to have the mysterious hooded figure suddenly appear from behind the bike racks and bar his path.

"Congratulations." The figure spoke.

"Huh?"

"According to this book, today will be a very momentous day for you. As such, congratulations are in order." The figure calmly explained, reading from the book he held.

"Oh… wait, who are you?" Sougo said quizzically to the stranger. He didn't seem to be a student, and he certainly wasn't a teacher with the get up he had on.

"If you seek answers, you will find them at the Mitakihara Shopping Center, after class is dismissed for the day." The figure replied, already beginning to step away. "However… you must remain cautious of the red robot."

"…Ok?" Sougo was baffled by the cryptic warning, but before he could question the figure any further, his attention was grabbed by the sound of his bicycle bell suddenly ringing on its own. He looked away for only a moment, but once he turned his gaze back, the figure was gone.

"Huh? Wait, where… what?" Sougo stammered as he looked around for the stranger, but he was nowhere to be found. "…I _really_ hope that wasn't the transfer student." He fretted as he continued his trek to class.

The chime of the warning bell rang throughout the school as soon as Sougo crossed the front entrance, making his way to his classroom at a brisk pace. As expected, none of the students of Class 2A noticed when the automatic door slid open to let Sougo into the classroom. This would have been true of any other day, but on this particular day his presence went especially unnoticed, the students all too busy ecstatically talking amongst themselves about what Sougo could only guess was the new transfer student.

Sougo made his way to his seat; front row, third from the door. He stood before one of the vacant spots between two other seated students, and after a moment a thin panel opened up and his desk folded out from under the floor, the boy taking a seat as soon as the automated process had finished. Immediately to his right was the empty space left by an inactive desk, where the transfer student would be sitting.

He sat and waited patiently for the bell to ring, watching through the transparent walls as other tardy students rushed through the halls to get to class. He didn't have to wait long before he caught a glimpse of his homeroom teacher, Saotome Kazuko, approaching down the hallway, and nearly the moment she reached the door the bell rang, the rest of the chatting students finding their seats.

"Settle down class, the bell has rung." Saotome sternly instructed as she entered the classroom, the giddy smile that she had worn on her face for the past month noticeably absent.

'_That's not a good sign._' Sougo lamented.

"Now, I have something very important to discuss with you today, class. I want you all to listen very closely!" The 29-year-old schoolteacher instructed. "When frying an egg, should it be fried sunny-side up or over hard?! Well, Nakazawa-kun?!" Sougo flinched as Saotome pointed to him with her retractable pointer, forcing the entire class's attention onto him.

"Huh? U-um, well…" The boy stammered as he fought against the reflex to answer with the way his uncle had made his own eggs that very morning. "Th-they can be fried either way, can't they?"

"Precisely! They can be fried either way!" Saotome furiously agreed. "Thus, it should go without saying that judging a woman's attractiveness by the way she fries her eggs is the _gravest _of _mistakes_!" She declared, snapping her metallic pointer in half.

Sougo let out an exasperated sigh as he tuned out the rest of his broken hearted teacher's rant. He had Saotome for his homeroom teacher the previous year as well, and she would often vent her romantic frustrations to her class, regardless of the context of the lesson. What's more, ever since his uncle mentioned during a parent teacher conference that Sougo wasn't a very picky eater, Saotome had taken to calling on him during her lovelorn tirades, knowing with absolute certainty that the boy would give her the answer she wanted.

"…Well then, now that _that's_ out of the way, let's welcome our new transfer student!" Saotome said, falling seamlessly into the pleasant tone one would expect of a homeroom teacher. "Akemi-san, you may come in now."

This was it, the moment the students of Class 2A had been eagerly waiting for, and they were not disappointed. Upon the teacher's command, in walked the transfer student, a beautiful young girl with long, silky black hair that swayed behind her with each step she took. Her posture was perfect, the girl practically strutting into the classroom, and the calm and somewhat icy look in her purple eyes gave her a mysterious presence that just added to her allure. As soon as she walked in, nearly every single student gasped in wonder and awe, completely captivated by her stunning beauty.

Sougo was similarly awestruck, not by the girl herself, but rather by the fact that he recognized her. It took him a moment to place exactly where he had seen the girl before, but once he did, he nearly jumped from his seat.

'_What! No way, that girl… it can't be._' Sougo stared in utter disbelief, frantically looking over the new student he should have been seeing for the first time. But, the longer he stared, the more certain he became; this was the same girl from his dream.

"Now then, why don't you introduce yourself to the class?" Saotome cheerfully suggested.

"My name is Akemi Homura. It's a pleasure to meet you all." The girl said in a calm, almost uninterested tone.

'_Akemi… Homura…_' Even the name sounded somewhat familiar, like he had heard it somewhere before but couldn't quite place from where. The name also proved unique enough that Saotome struggled to write it on the board, forcing Homura to step in and write it for her before giving the class a respectful bow, leaving her introduction at that.

The class in turn gave her an awkward round of applause, and with that Homura was instructed to take her seat. Sougo failed to notice his gaze linger as the girl waited for her desk to deploy. He only noticed his faux pas once Homura was seated and she turned to meet his gaze, making him flinch in surprise. He half expected to be told off, but the mysterious girl simply greeted him with a respectful nod, which Sougo reluctantly returned.

'_Alright, calm down Sougo, you're completely overreacting._' He chastised himself as the class moved on to taking attendance. '_It's probably some weird coincidence, that's all, no need to make a big fuss about it. It's gonna be hard enough for her to get settled in without me having a sudden outbreak of chunnibyou centered around her._'

Sougo recalled his teacher mentioning that Homura had been hospitalized for the past year, and so would probably have trouble readjusting to school life. As such, Sougo was asked to make sure she felt welcome, and so he decided right then and there to ignore the strange coincidence and properly introduce himself once free period rolled around.

"Nakazawa!"

"Here!"

* * *

'…_Yeah, she's definitely the girl from my dream._' Sougo asserted to himself, sneaking glances at Homura as they sat through the last class of the day.

As soon as free period started, Homura was swarmed by a gaggle of overzealous female classmates, one even going so far as to commandeer his seat, leaving him completely cut off from his new seat neighbor. Between their enthusiastic questions and Homura's immediate, blunt answers, Sougo couldn't hope to get a word in edgewise, so he quickly gave up and decided to try his luck during lunch instead.

However, the impromptu interview was cut short when Homura claimed to not be feeling well and excused herself to the nurse's office. Unsurprisingly, she sought the aid of Class 2A's Nurse's Aid, a petite young girl with bright pink hair tied up with pretty red ribbons by the name of Kaname Madoka. However, what caught Sougo's attention was that as soon as Homura began approaching Madoka, the pained expression she wore for the crowd of girls suddenly vanished, replaced with her default stoic expression that seemed to intimidate the young pinkette as she was asked to be escorted to the nurse's office. And yet, it seemed to be Homura that would be doing the escorting, leading a flustered Madoka through hallways that, as a new student, she had no business being so familiar with.

Things only got stranger from there. For a girl that hadn't attended school for a whole year, she seemed incredibly well learned, breezing through complex algebra problems like they were child's play. While that could be chalked up to prodigal academic prowess or just simple self study, what couldn't be so easily explained away was how a girl _hospitalized_ for an entire _year_ was able to break the prefectural record for the high jump, long jump, and sprint on her first day in gym class. It didn't matter how athletically gifted a person was, one does not come out of a year of constant bed rest in peak physical condition… unless of course, one had magical powers.

The more he observed her, the more she resembled the girl from his dream, and in observing her, the more details he was able to recall from the dream itself. The ruined cityscape, the horrific monster in the sky, and the determined look on Homura's face as she did battle with it. There was just no denying it anymore.

The moment the final bell rang, Sougo quickly put away his school materials, slinging his bag over his shoulder as he stood up and turned to his mysterious seat neighbor.

"Um, Akem…"

"Wait up, Akemi-san!" Sougo's approach was immediately cut off by a duo of girls, completely oblivious to his presence as they addressed Homura. "Would you like to walk home with us?" The first girl happily offered.

"We know this really nice tea shop that you've just got to try!" The second girl added, as if to sweeten the pot.

"Thank you for the offer, but I have some business I need to take of today, maybe next time." Homura politely refused, offering the girls a respectful bow before quickly making her way out of the classroom.

"Ah! W-Wait!" Sougo pleaded, making his way around the disappointed schoolgirls and into the hallway. "Please, I need to talk to…!" Sougo was cut of when he crashed into another student, sending them both tumbling to the ground along with the stack of printouts the other student was carrying.

"Ugh… Ah! I-I'm so sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going!" Sougo frantically apologized as he began helping the other student pick up the printouts.

He handed the heavy stack back to the student, and with a quick final word of apology, dashed down the hallway after the mysterious transfer student. He had lost track of her, and couldn't spot her even through the transparent walls of the classrooms. Thinking quickly, he rushed down to the front entrance, desperately trying to locate her in the sea of faces as the rest of the students all left for the day. Sougo was confident that he would be able to spot the girl in a crowd, and so when he failed to, he slumped over and let out a sigh of defeat.

"Oh well, she probably would've just called me a delusional freak anyway." He lamented, reflecting on just how ridiculous the whole situation must have seemed from the outside.

Disappointed, he made his way over to the bike rack, resigning himself to returning home without any answers.

_If you seek answers, you will find them at the Mitakihara Shopping Center, after class is dismissed for the day._

Sougo suddenly recalled the advice given to him by the hooded stranger that morning.

"…Well, might as well give it a shot." Sougo decided, unlocking his bike, mounting it, and pedaling his way into the city, hoping against hope that he would truly find his answers there.

Little did he know the second half of the stranger's warning was currently watching him leave from afar.

* * *

Sougo checked the bookstore. Homura wasn't there.

Sougo checked a few popular clothing stores. Homura wasn't in any of them.

In his desperation, he even checked a lingerie shop, enduring the strange looks he received from customers and staff alike. But alas, he turned up empty handed.

"Well, that's what I get for listening to a complete stranger." Sougo lamented as he aimlessly traversed the mall.

With his frantic search yielding him no results, he began to wonder just why he was so desperate to find her in the first place. What was he even expecting, that Akemi Homura would actually turn out to be some kind of… Magical Girl? That she was tasked with fighting some terrible evil that Sougo was somehow having prophetic dreams about? His life wasn't an anime, and even if it were, he wouldn't have such an important role in it. In fact, if he recalled correctly, he ended up dying unceremoniously at the end of his dream, so really, what help could he have possibly been to her anyway, to _anybody_?"

"Maybe… maybe I was just looking for an excuse to talk to her?" That had to be it; after all she clearly didn't need his help fitting in at school. He was insignificant, just like he always was, and he was desperately clinging to the possibility of doing something meaningful.

With that depressing thought, Sougo let out a melancholic sigh.

"Oh well, guess I'll just grab a bite to eat at the food court and head home." He resigned, changing his course in the direction he remembered the food court to be in.

He paid little attention to his surroundings as he shuffled his feet forward, so it really shouldn't have been a surprise when he ended up bumping into someone, earning a cute little yelp from his unfortunate victim.

"Oh! Sorry, I wasn't… wait, Kaname-san?" Sougo immediately recognized the unique head of pink hair he had ran into, as well as the blue head of hair that held her steady, preventing her from taking a spill.

"Huh? Oh, you're… Nakazawa-kun from our class, right?" Madoka replied with a friendly smile.

"Hey yeah, you're that guy that sensei is always picking on in class!" Miki Sayaka, Madoka's close friend added, seemingly proud of herself for remembering the boy.

"Uh… yeah, that's me." Sougo said, awkwardly scratching the back of his head in slight embarrassment. "Oh, sorry about bumping into you, I was kind of spacing out." He quickly apologized with a polite bow.

"It's ok, it was my fault too for not paying attention either. I'm sorry." Madoka replied with an apologetic bow of her own.

"Guess we'll just call it even then." Sougo surmised, which Madoka seemed content with.

"I gotta say, I'm kind of surprised to see the teacher's pet loitering around the mall right after school. Better hope sensei doesn't find out." Sayaka teased, much to Sougo's surprise.

'_Teacher's pet? Is that how people see me?_' The only favoritism Saotome ever showed him was during her rants, but he supposed that favoritism of _any_ kind would in fact make one a "teacher's pet".

"Uh, actually, I'm here looking for somebody." Sougo admitted, seeing a chance to revive his search. "Have either of you seen Akemi Homura around here?"

"Homura-chan?" Madoka said quizzically.

"The transfer student?" Sayaka added as she traded a pensive look with Madoka. "Nope, haven't seen her." She replied bluntly.

"Sorry." Madoka offered her sympathy, though it didn't do much to relieve Sougo of his disappointment.

"Oh… well, thanks anyway." He weakly offered about to continue on his way.

"Why are you looking for her anyway?" Sayaka inquired, grabbing Sougo's attention again.

"Uh… well…"

"_Oh~_ I get it. You're setting your sights on the new, beautiful transfer student, aren't you!?" Sayaka accused, flashing him a mischievous grin.

"Huh? …W-What!?" Sougo exclaimed, his face quickly turning a deep shade of red.

"Ehh, Really!? Nakazawa-kun, you like Homura-chan?" Madoka said with the bashful excitement of a schoolgirl when on the topic of romance.

"N-No! That's not what this is at all!" Sougo vehemently denied.

"_Hmm~?_ Then why are you trying so hard to find her?" Sayaka interrogated with the smuggest of smug looks on her face

"Uh… well, I just… I need to… I didn't get a chance to…" Sougo stammered as he struggled to come up with an excuse that wouldn't make him sound like a delusional creep. He let out a defeated sigh when he couldn't think of one. "You know what, never mind. It's… kind of hard to explain."

"Try us. I mean, whatever it is, it can't be any weirder than what Madoka just told me about the transfer student." Sayaka casually assured him.

"Wah! Sayaka-chan, don't!" Madoka pleaded, clearly embarrassed by whatever secret she had shared with her friend.

"Kaname-san, do you know something about Akemi-san?" Sougo asked his curiosity piqued.

"N-No, not really. Its just…" Madoka paused, pondering if she should continue or not. "Promise you won't laugh?" Sougo nodded his head in agreement. "Well, you see, last night… I think I might have met her in a dream… or something."

Sougo's heart nearly skipped a beat, his eyes widening in absolute shock upon hearing the pinkette's uncertain claim.

"You see, sounds like something straight out of an anime, right?" Sayaka teased, much to Madoka's dismay.

"What… what kind of a dream was it?" Sougo questioned, his desperation clear in his voice.

"Huh? Um… honestly, I can't really remember it very well, but I do know it was a really strange dream, and also… kind of scary." Madoka hesitantly replied, but it was enough for Sougo.

"Like a monster attacking a city, downtown Mitakihara to be exact?" Sougo thoughtlessly blurted out, but was rewarded by Madoka meeting his gaze with a surprised look of her own.

"Y-Yes, actually." Madoka confirmed. "Homura-chan was there too; she was wearing this strange, but also kind of cute costume. And she had this… um…"

"A shield, on her left arm, right?"

"Yes! That's exactly right! She was flying around, and the monster was shooting fire or something at her, but…"

"She couldn't dodge them all, and she ended up getting knocked back into… um…"

"A tree!?"

"YES! A TREE!"

"Uh… am I missing something here?" Sayaka interrupted, reminding them of her presence.

"Nakazawa-kun, how do you know so much about my dream?" Madoka asked, her own desperation for answers shining through.

"Because… that's the same dream _I_ had last night." Sougo revealed, stunning his two classmates silent.

_CRASH_

The moment of revelation was cut short when the glass roof directly above them was suddenly smashed through, the offending object descending upon.

"Look out!" Sougo cried as he tackled his classmates out of the way, the falling object landing right where the three of them had been standing and showered with countless shards of broken glass.

Sougo rolled off of Madoka and Sayaka, the three of them getting a good look at their assailant. Their eyes widened in absolute shock and disbelief as towering over them was a giant, humanoid robot, bright red with yellow and black accents, the word "_robo_" written in flashing yellow hiragana letters (ろぼ) down its torso.

_However… you must remain cautious of the red robot._

"You've gotta be kidding me…" Sougo whimpered.

The rest of the mall's patrons all fled in a panic the moment the machine landed, but the robot paid them absolutely no mind, its oddly shaped yellow visor locked on the three cowering middle schoolers before it.

"_I've finally got you… Oma Zi-O!_" A voice echoed from a speaker on the robot before it lifted its foot and attempted to crush Sougo.

The boy quickly rolled to the side to avoid being stepped on. He scrambled to his feet and ran in an arbitrary direction, so long as it was away from the killer robot. Unfortunately, the mechanized monstrosity wasn't about to let him go that easily, taking to the air with a set of jet boosters on its feet and cutting off his escape route, shaking the ground as it landed. The robot reached down with its black, mechanical hand, Sougo ducking under the appendage and turning to run in the other direction. Unfortunately, the boy tripped over a discarded shopping bag, giving the robot the perfect opportunity to take him within its grasp… only to get blasted in the face with a pressurized white mist.

"Nakazawa, this way!" Sayaka called to him, currently in the process of dowsing the robot with a fire extinguisher.

She stood before the entrance to one of the largest department stores in the shopping center, so Sougo picked himself up and rushed inside, Sayaka following suit after throwing the bright red tank at the blinded machine.

"Are you two ok?" Madoka asked, already inside and waiting for them.

"Yeah… more or less." Sougo replied, taking a moment to catch his breath. "Thanks for the save, Miki-san."

"Don't mention it, just doing my duty." Sayaka playfully dismissed, offering him a wink and a thumbs up.

It was then that they heard the loud footfalls of the robot approaching. The three students looked to the entrance to find the large, mechanical figure trying and failing to finagle its way into the comparatively small entrance.

"Ha! Can't fit your big, metal butt through there, can you!" Sayaka taunted, sticking her tongue out at the oversized assailant.

A low growl came from the robot's speaker as it pulled away and stood up straight. A moment later, the ramp on its torso popped open and out jumped the pilot; a figure wearing what seemed to be a bright red power suit with a black strap running down its torso and a helmet that featured the same yellow visor present on the robot it was piloting. Around its waist was a white device with two identical black slots on either side, the right hand slot currently occupied by a round gadget that depicted the pilot's helmet, and across its screen was the number 2068 in bright yellow.

"Uh oh…" Sayaka said, all of her bravado vanishing as she took a reflexive step back.

"Come on, this way!" Sougo exclaimed as he grabbed Madoka and Sayaka by the wrists and guided them further into the store.

The Red Pilot gave chase, a task that proved more difficult than expected, as he constantly needed to shove other fleeing patrons out of the way. This allowed the three students to slip down an escalator to another floor without being noticed by their pursuer. Eventually, the trio managed to find an emergency exit, spilling out into a parking lot where other patrons were frantically trying to get to their cars.

"Did we lose him?" Sayaka asked as she tried to catch her breath.

"Yeah… for now at least." Sougo replied.

"W-What do we do now. Go to the police?" Madoka suggested.

"And what exactly are the police gonna do about a crazy super soldier with a giant robot!?" Sayaka rebuked in a panic. "Speaking of which, why is a super soldier with a giant robot chasing _you_ around, Nakazawa!?"

"I don't know! You're guess is as good as mine!" Sougo replied, unable to fathom a reason for _anyone_ to be out for his life. "For now, let's just get away from the mall before it figures out where we are."

"No arguments here." Sayaka complied. "The bus stop is this way, come on!"

_CRASH_

Just as the group were making a break for the bus stop, the red robot crashed through the almost entirely glass wall of the shopping center, cutting off their escape root.

"_Didn't think you could get away that easily, did you_?" The pilot spoke through the speakers as he hovered over the trio.

Sougo immediately stepped forward and shielded Madoka and Sayaka behind him, bracing himself to be crushed or taken or whatever horrid fate his pursuer had in mind as he began to descend on them.

"_Time Mazine!_" However, before the mecha could even land, a second, equally large machine flew overhead and crashed into the red robot, sending it flying back and crashing on its back onto the ground.

"Huh? What now!?" Sougo exclaimed as he looked up at the new machine, the "Time Mazine" apparently, as it landed beside them.

Unlike the robot, the Time Mazine seemed to be a vehicle of some kind, with a silver body with black and pink accents. Its underside had the word "_robo_" written in green katakana letters (ロボ) that flashed as the ramp descended.

"_Please enter._" A voice Sougo recognized requested through a speaker.

The three students traded apprehensive looks with each other, but a single glance back at the recovering red robot convinced them to quickly file into the vehicle. The cockpit didn't seem designed to carry passengers, but was spacious enough to fit all three of them. On the walls of either side were large, futuristic mechanisms that presumably provided the vehicle with movement, and standing as the pilot, grasping two wall mounted controls, was the mysterious, hooded stranger Sougo had encountered earlier that day.

"Hey, you're…!"

"My apologies, but introductions will have to wait." The stranger said as the cockpit closed shut and a holographic screen appeared before him. He slid his finger across the screen, which originally displayed the date, 2018 A.D., scrolling through multiple other numeric values before deciding on one. "Space-Time transport system activate." He announced as he pulled back on the controls, lifting the Time Mazine off the ground. "I suggest you all hold on to something."

With that warning, the Time Mazine flew up into the sky and into a portal that suddenly appeared overhead. The Red Pilot could only watch as the other vehicle disappeared from view, letting out an angry growl as he made his robot pound its fist on the ground in frustration.

* * *

Just how many times has Akemi Homura ended the life of the miserable little parasite? Dozens, maybe even hundreds of times? She didn't really bother to keep count at this point, but it certainly never got old. There she stood, hand outstretched with a smoking gun in her hand, the bullet she had fried imploding the head of the little abomination, leaving its cat like body to lay lifeless on the ground. Unfortunately, it was never that easy, as her sharp ears picked up the soft footfalls of a nearly identical creature fleeing through the dimly lit indoor bicycle lot where she had cornered its previous incarnation.

"Slippery little demon." Homura cursed under her breath as she reloaded her weapon and open fired.

The creature skittered from side to side, narrowly avoiding the bullets as they whizzed passed in flashes of purple light. It evaded five shots before the sixth made a direct hit, knocking it off its feet for only a moment before it quickly regained its composure and kept fleeing, eventually turning a corner and leaving her line of sight.

"Oh no you don't." Homura said as she gave chase. She turned the corner and aimed her pistol, noticing the subtle movement of a loose floor tile and catching a quick glimpse of her prey's long, bushy tail moving into the crawl space between floors.

"Damn it!" She cursed, storing her weapon back into a silver shield on her left arm and making a mad sprint down the hallway. She knew exactly where the injured creature would end up, and she also knew there was an 86% chance that _she_ would be there waiting for it, lured in by its cries for help.

"No! Not this time! I won't let you have her!" She declared, desperately following the path that she now knew by heart.

To anybody else, the floorboards she had stopped at would have gone totally unnoticed, but Homura knew better as she raised her foot and kicked through them, forcing them loose and falling onto the next floor below. Homura took a deep breath, taking a moment to mask her desperation and concern behind a stoic mask, before leaping down to the currently abandoned floor of the Mitakihara Shopping Center below. However, where she expected to see a head of bright pink hair and a pair of matching eyes looking up at her with surprise and fear, she only saw her quarry, breathing pained and shallow breathes as it laid curled up on the floor, injured and unable to continue running.

Homura let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding, reminding herself that 86% was far from absolute certainty, and she had found herself in the 14% of iterations where Kaname Madoka managed to be somewhere else at this crucial moment.

'_Good… I've bought myself some more time._' But not _enough_ time, she didn't bother to think. It was never going to be enough time; unlike those horrid creatures, she couldn't be in multiple places at once, and sooner or later they would find a way to make contact with Madoka, and…

Homura shook her head, banishing those thoughts from her mind. She knew all of these unfortunate truths already, and dwelling on them would do her no good, for now, she still had a job to finish. Her stoic face returned to her as she stepped her foot on the injured creature and pulled out her pistol, pointing the barrel straight at its head and executing the creature in cold blood.

"Alright, that should keep you down for a while." She asserted as she stowed away her weapon, no longer needing it.

Or so she thought, but she was proven wrong when the world around her suddenly began to shift and change. She could feel the dreadful magic flowing around her as the abandoned mall floor was slowly transformed into a literal collage of paper craft scenery. Within the chaos of her shifting surroundings, three motifs persisted: Paris, butterflies, and roses.

She knew it immediately; she was in Gertrude's Labyrinth.

"Damn it, I let my guard down." She chastised herself before rushing off in an arbitrary direction.

Witch's Labyrinths always introduced an element of chaos in Homura's mission. No two were alike, even when they ended up appearing in the exact same place at the exact same time as a previous iteration. They were pure randomness, as chaotic as the myriad of emotions felt by the ones who spawned them, and Homura could never hope to consistently predict them. And so, there would be no relying on her foreknowledge here, if she wanted to escape alive, she would need to search for the exit.

Unfortunately, her attempt to traverse the psychedelic landscape was for naught, as a strange figure suddenly appeared to bar her path. The figure just vaguely resembled a flower, the stem that formed the bulk of its body growing out of a monarch butterfly that acted as its legs. Two other stems that served as arms and legs grew out of its rotund head; a mass of cotton white fluff whose only facial feature was a neatly trimmed mustache.

"_Das sind mir unbekannte Blumen…_"

"_Ja. Sie sind mir auch unbekannt…_"

The call and response came from a multitude of the same creature, surrounding her, as they seemed to be manipulating black sheers and thorny vines in preparation to attack her.

"_Schneiden wir sie ab?_"

"_Ja. Schneiden wir sie ab!_"

However, the young girl remained calm, not at all fazed by the creatures' distorted chanting. She raised her shield before her, commanding the mechanisms within to turn, click, and mesh together, rotating the circular panel 90 degrees clockwise. As soon as the shield clicked into its new configuration, Homura blinked out of existence, instantly reappearing outside of the circle of enemies with her shield rotated back into its original place. At the very same moment, the creatures all exploded in a flash of purple light, their lives ending in an instant before they could even realize what had happened.

'_Now, to find the exit, before I run into…_'

"Well, with that display, I suppose _you're_ the reason there haven't been as many Witches around town lately."

Homura's thoughts were disturbed by a polite, yet condescending voice from behind her. She looked over her shoulder and saw another girl, just slightly older than herself, with long blond hair styled into two swirling pigtails, held together by two flower shaped hair clips. The girl wore an even flashier outfit than Homura herself, denoting her as a fellow Magical Girl. She stood on a raised platform, giving her the high ground against Homura should things come to blows, but as if to assure that such was not her intent, she leapt off of the platform and landed gracefully across the room from her.

"…Is that a problem?" Homura tentatively questioned, keeping her voice as neutral as she could.

"Less Witches means less innocents in danger, so in that regard it isn't a problem at all." The girl replied. "Unless, of course, you wish to make it a problem." Her voice remained polite and civil as she spoke, offering no hostility, but the underlying distrust was clear.

However, before Homura could formulate a reply, a new wave of those creatures surrounded them, mumbling again in that incoherent language.

"However, I suppose that discussion can wait until after we deal with this Witch. Is that agreeable?" The girl inquired, but Homura knew better. This _was_ the discussion, or at least the beginnings of one. She was trying to see if Homura was apposed to fighting alongside another Magical Girl, a prospect that most of their kind would not be so easily accepting of.

Ordinarily, Homura would have refused, after all the veteran Magical Girl did not _need_ her assistance for this particular Witch, and time spent fighting it was time wasted in regards to her mission. However, if she built up a rapport with her now, she may prove to be less of an obstacle later on; and quite the obstacle she was.

"…It is." Homura replied simply, an almost relieved smile crossing the other girl's lips.

The two Magical Girls came together, standing back to back against the wave of enemies. The veteran summoned four white rifled muskets, while Homura produced a sub-machine gun from her shield.

"My name is Tomoe Mami, by the way."

"…Akemi Homura."

And with that, the two open fired.

* * *

"**WHOA~!**" The three classmates all exclaimed as they tried to steady themselves within the cockpit.

Before they knew it, they were traveling through a florescent blue vortex, hexagonal in shape with what seemed to be glowing blue circuitry lining the walls. Sougo and his classmates held on to whatever they could get a solid grip on for dear life, while the hooded stranger calmly adjusted their flight patter every so often against the turbulence of the vortex. Eventually, another portal opened on the sidewall of the tunnel, the hooded stranger turning the Time Mazine and passing through it, immediately freeing them from the turbulence, much to the teens' relief.

"Oh thank god it's over…" Sougo sighed, he and the girls slumping onto the floor. "Kaname-san, Miki-san, are you ok?"

"Ugh… define ok." Sayaka mumbled, needing to hold her head in order to keep it steady.

"I'm dizzy…" Madoka whimpered, resting her head on Sayaka's shoulder.

"I apologize for the unpleasant voyage, but we were in a rush." The hooded stranger politely spoke as he brought them in for a landing. "Fortunately, we should be safe here for the time being."

"And where exactly is "_here_"?" Sougo inquired, not recognizing the glimpse of the scenery he caught from the holographic screen.

"See for yourselves." The hooded figure replied with a coy smile, hitting a button on the screen to lower the ramp.

In came the sounds of chirping birds and other animal calls that none of them recognized, telling them that they were somewhere in the wilderness. The three students traded apprehensive looks before slowly standing and stepping out of the cockpit. They were immediately hit by a wave of heat and humidity like none they have ever experienced in their short lives, the layers of their fall uniforms just adding to the discomfort they felt. However, they managed to distract themselves with the gorgeous scenery around them, finding themselves in a green valley surrounded by tropical wilderness, the steaming head of a volcano popping out over the canopy in the distance.

"He took us all the way the _freaking rainforest!_" Sayaka shouted incredulously.

"Well, at least that red guy won't be able to follow us all the way out here… probably." Sougo weakly asserted.

"Thank goodness." Madoka sighed with relief. However, that sigh would turn into a shocked gasped as she turned her gaze in the opposite direction the others were facing. "…S-S-Sayaka-chan, Nakazawa-kun, l-l-look…!" She stammered, pulling on Sayaka's sleeve to get her attention.

"Hm? What's up Mado…?" She trailed off, eyes widening and jaw dropping as she saw what it was Madoka saw.

Sougo then turned to look as well, and had much the same reaction, as grazing down by a nearby lake, completely unaware of their presence, was a herd of quadrupedal animals with scaly grey skin and three horns sticking out of their faces.

"…**DINOSAURS!?**" All three exclaimed in utter disbelief.

"Indeed, a herd of _triceratops prorsus_ if I am not mistaken." The hooded stranger informed them as he suddenly appeared by their side. "We currently stand on the land that will one day become the North American state of Colorado, in the year 66,810,000 B.C." He casually explained the Earth shattering revelation to the already shell-shocked teens.

"But… But… But _how!?_ Who _are_ you?" Sougo demanded.

"Please forgive my late introduction." The stranger said as he lowered his hood, revealing himself to be an adult man in his early twenties, his long black hair swept to the right side of his face. "You may call me Woz. It is truly an honor and a privilege to be able to become acquainted with you in your youth, my Lord." The man called Woz declared as he kneeled before Sougo, bowing his head and placing his arm across his chest in reverence to the increasingly baffled young man.

Sougo looked over his shoulder, as if expecting some regal figure standing behind him to be the true object of the strange man's reverence. However, all he saw were dense jungle and his classmates looking to him with their own shocked expressions.

"Uh… are you talking to me?" Sougo awkwardly inquired.

"But of course, but I suppose I understand your confusion. Please, allow me to explain." Woz insisted as he stood back up. "I hail from Mitakihara City of the year 2068, approximately 50 years beyond your present day."

"So, you're from the future?" Madoka reiterated.

"Well, guess that explains the time machine." Sayaka said, looking up at the aptly named Time Mazine.

"Indeed, such wonders are commonplace in my era, and it is all thanks to your guiding hand." Woz continued, gesturing to the Time Mazine and then to the young boy. "For you see, within but a year's time, you, Nakazawa Sougo, shall take your rightful place as the one true king of this world!" He reverently declared earning astonished gasps from Madoka and Sayaka.

"Ehh!? Nakazawa-kun is going to be a king in the future!?" Madoka said in disbelief.

"No way! Have we been going to class with the long lost heir of some foreign kingdom or something!?" Sayaka wildly speculated, and yet it was somehow the least crazy thing that has been said all day.

"What nonsense do you speak? My Lord has no need for such artificial rights of succession." Woz bitterly denied. "He shall ascend to the throne by his own merit alone, just as it is written in this book." He declared as he pulled out the same book he was carrying at the school.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, just hold on a second here!" Sougo waved his arms, earning him everyone's attention. "Uh… are you _sure _you've got the right guy here?" He asked, clearly dubious that he could possibly have such a grand destiny.

"But of course, I am not one so foolish as to mistake another for the lord that I have sworn fealty towards." Woz replied without an ounce of doubt. "That watch in your hand is proof enough of your identity."

"Watch?" Sougo looked down to his hand and gasped in surprise, as within his grasp was the very same broken watch he had discarded that morning. "You again!?" Woz smiled knowingly as he unhooked the strap on his book, titled the "Oma Advent Calendar", and read aloud.

"According to this book, this "Ridewatch" shall grant you incredible power, with which you shall usher in an unprecedented era of peace and prosperity, and reign over the Earth as the Ruler of Time: Oma Zi-O!" Woz prophesized. The watch then emitted a brief flash of light, as if to agree with the claim.

"But… But _I_ can't be a king!" Sougo frantically denied. "I-I've never even been class representative before! How am I supposed to govern all of humanity!?"

"Yeah, something tells me Saotome-sensei's lectures aren't gonna help you much in that department." Sayaka playfully agreed, though Sougo didn't deny the point.

"…Well, _I_ think you'd make a pretty good king." Madoka spoke up, earning quizzical gazes from her classmates.

"You do?" Sougo said, the pinkette nodding her head with a smile. "But… why?" Sougo honestly asked. He himself couldn't think of anything that could possibly qualify him to be king of anything. So what could possibly make Madoka, a classmate he didn't even know very well, think otherwise.

"Well, back in the parking lot, when the robot found us, you tried to protect me and Sayaka-chan, even though you knew that you were the one it was after." Madoka explained, Sougo recalling that he had indeed attempted shield his classmates from danger.

"Oh, that? I just didn't want you two to get hurt just because you decided to help me, anyone would have done it." He dismissed, but Madoka shook her head in response.

"Mama once told me that to be a good leader, you have to put the needs of those that are depending on you before your own. She says that that's the hardest part of the job, and you did it without even thinking about it. That's why, if you try really hard, I'm sure you could become a _great _king someday!" Madoka declared with a bright, encouraging smile.

Sougo was speechless, unable to comprehend how someone who had only really known him a day could have so much faith in him. It almost made him feel like he actually _could_ become king… almost.

"Very well said, as expected of his Majesty's bride-to-be." Woz praised offering Madoka a similarly respectful bow as he had offered Sougo.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"**WHHAAAAAATT!?**" The three students all exclaimed at the most shocking bombshell of them all.

"B-B-B-Bride…?" Madoka stuttered as her cheeks went bright red.

"I didn't even know you two were dating!" Sayaka confessed in utter astonishment.

"**We're not! We're not!**" Sougo and Madoka quickly denied in a flustered panic.

"Oh, but you shall." Woz assured, standing from his kneeled position. "In the coming months, you two shall fall madly in love, and when the time comes for my Lord to take his place on the throne, it will be you, Kaname Madoka, that shall sit by his side as queen." He theatrically prophesized, failing to notice the two teens in question turning redder and redder with each word he said.

"But… but I've never even gotten a love letter before… my heart just isn't ready for this…" Madoka muttered to herself, fidgeting nervously with her fingers.

Sougo would have similarly fretted to himself about this predestined matrimony, were his attention not stolen by a glob of what he could only describe as saliva falling on his shoulder. He looked up at the source of the drool, freezing in fear as he came face to face with the toothy maw of the Tyrannosaurus Rex. The beast let out an ear splitting roar, finally alerting the others to its presence, to which he and his classmates all began screaming their heads off.

"Well then, it seems we have over stayed our welcome." Woz casually remarked as he took hold of the end of his scarf and threw it towards the students.

The grey fabric mysteriously extended, wrapping all four of them from head to toe just as the dinosaur leaned down to take a bite out of them. When the swirling fabric receded, the three teens were shocked to find themselves back in the cockpit of the Time Mazine, the hatch immediately closing shut as Woz took to the controls. Without a moment to spare, Woz lifted the Time Mazine into the air and flew them over the hostile predator, a portal opening overhead and allowing them back into the timestream.

"I am setting a course back to 2018. I will try my hardest to make this return trip less turbulent than the last." Woz assured, focusing on keeping the Time Mazine steady as it traveled through time.

As the adrenaline wore off from their prehistoric encounter, an awkward silence befell the cockpit. Sayaka was the first to notice, watching as her Madoka and her apparent future husband did everything in their power not to look in each other's direction, Madoka opting to stare at her twiddling hands while Sougo was suddenly entranced by the mechanisms on the wall.

"…Hey, by the way, what was up with that red guy that was going after Nakazawa?" Sayaka said curiously, partially in an effort to break the silence.

"Ah, yes, I suppose that does warrant an explanation." Woz replied, Sougo and Madoka perking up to listen. "You see, he is…"

_CRASH_

"…As stubborn as ever it would seem."

The three classmates yelped in surprise as the entire cockpit shook, the three of them stumbling to keep their balance as the monitor on the back wall flashed red with a warning screen. The image then changed to a feed from outside of the Time Mazine, revealing a nearly identical vehicle cruising next to them, only with a familiar red, yellow, and black color scheme.

"Oh come on! _He _can time travel too!?" Sayaka cried in frustration.

"I'm afraid so." Woz lamented as he continued to man the controls.

On the monitor, the red Time Mazine pulled away in preparation to ram them again, but Woz predicted the maneuver and performed a barrel roll in order to avoid it. Unfortunately, the red Time Mazine was quick to react, immediately swinging back around and ramming them against the wall of the timestream, the force of which knocking the teens off their feet. Woz attempted to steady their Time Mazine, only for one of the front thrusters of the red Time Mazine to transform into an arm and push them against the wall, sparks flying off of the outer haul.

Eventually, the force became too great for the unstable quantum walls to endure, and the Time Mazine was forced out of the timestream into an unknown place and time. Woz attempted to steady their course, but unfortunately the momentum from their forced exit was too great, the Time Mazine colliding full force into what appeared to be a large stone wall. The collision jostled everyone in the cockpit, Sayaka falling over as she tried to stand and catching herself on Woz's holographic display.

"You fool, don't touch that!" Woz reprimanded as he struggled to maintain control of the ship. A red warning light flashed as the hatch was forced open, sending Madoka and Sougo, who had the unfortunate luck of being knocked against it, falling out of the cockpit as Woz just barely managed to prevent a crash landing.

"Madoka! Nakazawa!" Sayaka cried as she helplessly watched her classmates be spat out of the Time Mazine, Woz unable to regain control of the craft to aid them.

Both teens screamed in terror as they fell out of the cockpit. Sougo was the first one out, allowing him the chance to catch Madoka in the air and brace for impact. Fortunately, the fall wasn't terribly high, but Sougo still felt the impact as he landed flat on his back on the hard, concrete floor, fortunately protecting his more fragile classmate from the brunt of the damage. Madoka let out a pained breath as she sat up, opening her eyes to the sight of Sougo's own pained expression.

"Ah, Nakazawa-kun, are you o…kay…" Madoka paused as she suddenly realized the suggestive position they were in, her face going beet red as she frantically scrambled off of the boy. "W-WAH~! I-I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to… that was… I… a-are you ok?" Her frantic denials petered out into a concerned whimper as she sat formally on her knees a good five feet away from him.

"Ugh… yeah, I'm fine… though I'm definitely going to be feeling that in the morning." Sougo replied, wincing as a sat up. Madoka quickly rid herself of her embarrassment and trotted up to him, offering Sougo a hand to help him stand, which he gratefully accepted. "Thanks. Are you ok?"

"Yes, thank you very much." Madoka replied with a grateful bow. "But… where are we?"

Madoka and Sougo took a moment to examine their surroundings. From what they could tell they were in some kind of construction sight, rusted girders that would make up the frame of a building pieced together all around them. They both shivered as they realized just how cold it was, a soft snowfall falling over them. However, what really caught their attention was the towering stone wall, possibly hundreds of feet tall, that ran as far and the eye could see in either direction.

"W-What is that?" Madoka whimpered as she stared up at the amazing structure.

"I don't know… something from the future?" Sougo suggested. Considering that they had just been riding in a time machine, and the rest of their surroundings seemed fairly modern, it was probably safe to assume that they were somewhere in the near future… right?

Before they could ponder on their exact whereabouts any further, their attention was stolen by the sound of inhuman grunting. They looked around for the source and quickly found it in the form of an entirely black creature, heavily armored with oversized fists, charging towards them. Sougo immediately grabbed Madoka by the wrist and the two ran in the opposite direction.

"What is that? A monster?" Madoka inquired as they fled.

"I don't know, and I don't want to know, just _run_!" Sougo urged as he guided them into a nearby warehouse, the monster steadily closing in.

"Heads up!"

"_Vortex Finish!_"

"_Dragonic Finish!_"

Suddenly, in a brilliant flash of red and blue, two armored figures flew in seemingly out of nowhere and collided with the monster with a pair of flying side kicks. The creature noticed at the very last moment and attempted to brace for the impact, but the raw power of the simultaneous kicks was just too much for it, the monster exploding in a colorful flash of energy, the resulting shockwave knocking the nearby Sougo and Madoka off their feet.

"Are you two alright?" One of the armored figures said as he rushed to their side.

"Hey, you guys are still alive, right!?" The second armored figure asked more frantically, following his companion close behind.

"Yeah, we're fine, thank to you guys." Sougo said as one of the armored figures offered him a hand up, the other aiding Madoka.

One of their saviors was clad in asymmetric red and blue armor over a black body suit, each color alternating which side of the body it appeared on from head, to arms, to legs. The red visor over his left eye was in the shape of a rabbit's face, while the blue visor over his right eye was in the shape of what seemed to be a tank. His companion was equipped with an identical black body suit under navy blue armor adorned with golden flame designs and white spines across the arms and shoulders. His blue eye visors appeared to be two closed maws of jagged teeth, and on his forehead was a golden crest in the shape of a dragon's face. They both wore identical belts with hand cranks on the right hand side. The red and blue hero had, unsurprisingly, what seemed to be a pair of red and blue bottles equipped in the slots on the left hand side of the device, while the blue and gold hero had a completely different apparatus slotted into his.

"That was amazing!" Madoka gushed, the red and blue hero standing just a little bit taller at the praise. "Are you two from the future as well?"

"This guy's Kamen Rider Build." The blue and gold hero casually pointed a thumb at his companion, the red and blue hero sending him a quick gaze at the lackluster introduction.

Regardless, he removed the two bottles from their respective slots on his belt, his suit fading away into a mist of red and blue particles. The man underneath appeared to be in his early twenties, with short, dark hair neatly combed in a simple, but presentable style. He wore a beige overcoat to protect him from the cold, and underneath he wore a black and white baggy shirt for comfort.

"Kiryu Sento." He introduced himself. "And this guy here is my assistant…"

"Who're you calling _assistant_!?" The blue and gold hero irritably denied. "Kamen Rider Cross-Z. The name's Banjou Ryuga." He introduced himself as he pulled his own apparatus out of his belt.

Ryuga was a man of similar age to Sento, his hair died a brownish orange color and left stylistically unkempt unlike his companion. He wore a blue letterman jacket over a red shirt, with an additional red and black plaid shirt tied around his waist.

"Kamen…"

"…Rider?" Sougo and Madoka repeated the unfamiliar title, trading a quizzical glance with each other. "…Uh, this is gonna sound like a weird question, but do either of you know the exact date?"

"The date? Today is November 30th, 2017." Sento answered with the full and correct date.

"20…"

"…17?" Madoka and Sougo looked passed Sento and Ryuga at the mysterious wall outside.

"…**WE'RE IN THE **_**PAST**_**!?**"

* * *

\- _2018 A.D. _-

"Tiro Finale!" Tomoe Mami shouted dramatically as she shot a massive blast of yellow energy out of a giant hand cannon she had magically produced.

Her target was an absolutely horrendous creature, made from the same paper craft matter that the rest of the Witch's Labyrinth was comprised of. Its head was a drooping hedge of bright red roses, while its body was an incomprehensible mass of blood stained skin, a pair of butterfly wings sprouting out from its poorly defined back.

_Gertrud, The Rose Garden Witch_

Once Homura and Mami had managed to reach the center of the Labyrinth, where the Witch resided, they were easily able to corner it with their gunfire, allowing Mami to restrict the creature with her ribbons and hold it in place for the finishing blow. Homura almost rolled her eyes, the creature may have looked helpless, but it hadn't been worn down enough for a single, powerful blast to finish it off just yet. Under any other circumstances, Tomoe Mami would have been aware of this, but Homura could only guess that at the moment she was more focused on finishing the fight as quickly as possible, perhaps to prove just how effective the two of them were as a team.

Well, she wasn't exactly incorrect.

With a click of her shield, two grenades and a pipe bomb suddenly blinked into existence around the restrained Witch, detonating the moment Mami's finishing blow made contact. The two girls didn't even flinch at the force of the massive explosion, allowing their hair to be blown back dramatically as the shockwave traveled across the battlefield in seconds. When the dust settled, all that was left of the Witch was a small black orb lined with thorns of faded silver, precariously balancing itself on a long spike jutting out from the bottom; a Grief Seed.

Moments later, the surreal back drop of the Witch's Labyrinth faded away, leaving them once again in the dark, abandoned floor of the Mitakihara Shopping Center, the Grief Seed the only trace of the Witch left. With the danger passed, Homura and Mami returned to their civilian forms, their costumes transforming into the identical uniforms of Mitakihara Middle School.

"Well, you and I certainly made quick work of that Witch. We make a rather effective team, Akemi-san." Mami said as she picked up the Grief Seed off the floor.

"…The Grief Seed." Homura hesitantly replied, or at least that's how she made it seem.

"You used up magical energy didn't you? And it _is_ the fruit of _both_ of our efforts, so it's only fair that we share it, wouldn't you agree?" Mami insisted, holding her hand out with the Greif Seed in it in offering.

This was it, the olive branch, the moment that would mark Homura as friend or foe in Tomoe Mami's eyes. Most wouldn't be so willing to share the spoils of a successful Witch-hunt, and so splitting a Grief Seed was the ultimate gesture of kindness and solidarity between Magical Girls. It wasn't too be taken lightly, whether one was offering or receiving.

In all honesty, there were many reasons for Homura to refuse. For one thing, she hadn't even used up that much magical energy, certainly not as much as she would have fighting alone, so she wasn't exactly in dire need of restoration. Not to mention that she already had a Grief Seed left from previous Witch-hunts, so even if she did need one, she could just use her own. Really, the only reason to accept was the possibility of an alliance, but even that wasn't logistically advantageous since they were both competent enough that they could eliminated more Witches by working separately. And those were just the reasons to refuse if Homura's goal was just to kill Witches and collect Grief Seeds, which, at the best of times, was all that the veteran Magical Girl was really good for.

However, there was one little wrinkle in the equation that worked in favor of accepting the symbolic gesture of camaraderie: the Incubator. Tomoe Mami trusted the little white parasite implicitly, and once it reared its ugly head again, it will surely inform her of Homura's attempts on its life. It was only a matter of time before the accusation was made, and if Homura refused the Grief Seed here, Mami would turn on her the moment her intentions were cast into doubt. She would openly antagonize her from that point forward, and if they were to clash in front of _her_…

"…Yes, I suppose it is." Homura finally answered, Tomoe Mami's face lighting up for a moment before quickly regaining her composure.

Homura and Mami both presented their Soul Gems, little egg shaped crystals encased in a golden stand that granted them their magic. Homura's Soul Gem glowed with a purple light, while Mami's was yellow in color, but both had just a bit of subtle shadows peaking out of the edges of the vibrant crystals. They held the Soul Gems up towards the Grief Seed, and once they got close enough, the shadows that dirtied the crystals leapt off and were absorbed by the black orb, both Soul Gems having their bright luster restored in full.

"Well, would you look at that, I think this Grief Seed might just have a third use left in it." Mami observed with a pleasant surprise.

"I see. Well, I supposed that's to be expected, since there wasn't much corruption to be cleaned anyway." Homura replied with the logical reasoning.

"Yes, I suppose you're right." Mami agreed with a light-hearted smile. "…By the way, Akemi-san, are you busy right now?"

"Yes, I'm afraid I am." Homura quickly shot down the approaching invitation, catching Mami off guard. "Today was my first day at a new school, and I would like to go over today's notes to prepare myself for tomorrow's lessons."

"Oh! I see, so _you're_ the new transfer student the second years have been so excited about." Mami deduced with an amused, and somewhat relieved smile. "In that case, I won't keep you then. I'm a third year student at your school by the way. I'm in Class 3B, feel free to come find me if you have any questions." She offered with an inviting smile that made Homura's stomach churn.

"…I will keep that in mind." Homura replied indifferently, though it seemed to be enough for Mami.

Homura was well aware of how cruel she was being; dangling a friendship before the lonely Magical Girl that she had no intention of actually giving her, but it was necessary, lest she become a liability to her cause. Yes, Homura only needed two things from Tomoe Mami: to not actively antagonize her, and to survive.

Friendship was out of the question.

"Well, I'll be on my way… then…" Mami trailed off, much to Homura's curiosity. Suddenly, Mami's friendly demeanor became much more guarded, her gaze pointed over Homura's shoulder.

It was then that Homura finally noticed the sound of heavy footfalls behind her and turned on her heel to see just what it was that approached. She expected a number of things, a rouge Witch's Familiar, another Magical Girl, a curious civilian, and of course, _her_. Whatever she was expecting, it certainly wasn't what she got, as approaching them was a grotesque, humanoid creature, clad in armor made from an asymmetrically colored red and blue carapace, each color alternating which side of the body it appeared on from head, to arms, to legs. The creature's mouth had no lower lip, revealing a row of monstrous teeth with two long and sharp fangs extending over the top lip, and over its eyes were a pair of red and blue visors that were shaped just vaguely like a rabbit and a tank.

"What is that?" Mami asked, wielding her Soul Gem in preparation for combat.

"I… I don't know." Homura regretfully, shockingly, admitted, just as much to herself as to her fellow Magical Girl. In all of her experience, Homura had never come across a creature such as this before. Neither Witch nor Familiar, the only identification it had was the big black letters branded on the red part of its chest armor, spelling out the word "_BUILD_".

While the girls gawked, the monster pulled out a bloated bottle with a black spider web like design all across its transparent surface. Within the bottle, there was what seemed to be a green crystal cut into the shape of a four-leaf clover. With a flick of its thumb, the bottle's cap was turned open, the monster opening its grotesque mouth and swallowing the bottle whole.

"_Candy! Chemical! Best Match!_" It announced as it turned the crank, the blue bottle on the belt turning green while the red bottle turned white. The monster let out a determined growl as it charged forward, attacking the two Magical Girls.

* * *

\- _2017 A.D._ -

"Here, this'll warm you guys up." Banjou Ryuga said as he set a pair of teacups filled with coffee, as well as a carton of milk, in front of the shivering teens.

"Thanks." Sougo said.

"Thank you very much." Madoka added.

After listening to the their claims of being from the future, Sento and Ryuga brought them back to their base of operations, a quaint little coffee shop by the name of Caffé Nascita. Upon arrival, they were offered blankets and a warm drink, while Sento retreated to his… refrigerator to examine the Ridewatch Sougo had brought with him. Madoka was quick to poor the milk they were provided into her coffee, pausing as she caught a glimpse of the expiration date printed on the top fold: December 10, 2017.

"Look, it really is 2017." Madoka whispered to Sougo, presenting the label to him.

"Yeah, you're right. But then… what's up with that weird wall?" Sougo questioned, Madoka only able to offer a quizzical shrug and shake of her head.

Before they could ponder the historical inconsistency any further, Sento emerged from the kitchen refrigerator, the duo quickly standing at attention as he approached them.

"Well, I've examined it, and from what I can tell, this device of yours doesn't use _any_ technology currently available that I know of." Sento relayed his findings to the group. "…You two really _are_ from the future." He said with an awestruck gaze as he handed the Ridewatch back to Sougo.

"Well, yeah, but don't get _too_ excited, we're only from one year in the future." Sougo humbly professed.

"More like half a year, actually." Madoka further corrected.

"Geez, you say it like traveling through time's no a big deal." Ryuga said, leaning back on a table with an incredulous look on his face.

"I mean, it _is_ a big deal, _obviously_ it is, but, like, the guy that brought here is from _fifty_ years in the future!" Sougo recounted as he sat at the bar of the coffee shop, failing to notice the front door swinging open. "Compared to that, we might as well still be in the present."

_ZAP_

"He also said some pretty crazy stuff, like how I'm supposed to become this "all power king" that's going to save the world in the future or something, haha."

_ZAP_

"By the way Kiryu-san, did you figure out what this thing is actually supposed to… do…?" Sougo froze as he turned to address Sento, only to find him sprawled out on the floor beneath him. "What the…" He turned to Ryuga, who was in much the same predicament, before lifting his gaze to the entrance, where he was met with the sight of the aforementioned time traveler pointing what seemed to be a futuristic pistol at where Sento once stood. "Woz?"

"I am relieved to see that you are well, My Lord." Woz replied, stowing away his weapon and offering him a respectful bow.

"Woz-san… what did you…?" Madoka whimpered, looking down at the motionless bodies of their saviors.

"Fret not, My Lady, they are simply unconscious." Woz assured them, both teens breathing a sigh of relief. "Please excuse my drastic actions, but it is ill advised to interact with the past any more than necessary." He explained.

"Well, are they in there, or… Madoka!" Sayaka exclaimed as she burst in through the door.

"Sayaka-chan!" Madoka cried as the two friends rushed up to each other and embraced.

"Are you guys ok? I'm _so~_ sorry I threw you out of the time machine!" Sayaka furiously apologized, clapping her hands together and lowering her head at them.

"As you should be, but apologies will have to wait." Woz bitterly asserted. "Come, we must leave this era before they regain consciousness." He instructed, beckoning them to the exit.

"…By the way, do either of you guys remember there ever being a big, magic wall across Japan in 2017?" Sayaka asked, Madoka and Sougo shaking their heads in denial. "Good, so it's not just me." She sighed with relief before following Woz out.

Sougo and Madoka followed suit, Madoka taking a moment to look back at the unconscious forms of Sento and Ryuga.

"…I'm sorry." Madoka apologized with a bow before closing the door behind them.

* * *

\- _2018 A.D. _-

With no further interruptions, Woz was finally able to return his young charges back to their present day. However, as Sougo, Madoka, and Sayaka all stepped out of the Time Mazine, they were met with the familiar, and unwelcomed sight of the massive glass wall of the Mitakihara Shopping Center.

"Wait, you brought us back to the mall!?" Sougo said.

"Hey, what gives? Don't you know that the criminal always returns to the scene of the…crime?" Sayaka paused as she turned to chastise the prophet, only to find not only Woz, but also the Time Mazine nowhere to be seen. "No way… he _ditched_ us!"

"Oh no! What do we do now?" Madoka asked in an understandable panic. Just like Sayaka had said, this would be the first place the Red Pilot would come looking for them, and the longer they waited, the higher the risk.

"W-Well, for now, let's just…"

_CRASH_

Sougo and his classmates flinched as they heard the now all too familiar sound of breaking glass, fearing the worst as they all turned their gazes in the direction of the sound. Overhead, a single square of the massive array of windows shattered as a girl was forcefully tossed through it, raining shards of glass nearby. However, they all watched in shock and amazement as the girl recovered in the air and landed with a shoulder roll back onto their feet, her clothes dirtied, but otherwise unscathed. The girl tossed her long black hair back over her shoulder as she reloaded the pistol she held in her hand, then lifted her left arm to reveal a round, silver shield brought up in defense.

"Wait, that's…" Sougo said, immediately recognizing the costumed girl.

"Homura-chan!" Madoka exclaimed, she to recognizing the girl and the getup from their shared dream. Homura visibly gasped as she heard Madoka call out her name, finally taking notice of them with a surprised and almost panicked expression.

"Kaname Madoka? Why are you…?"

_CRASH_

Homura was cut off by another window breaking, a second girl in an equally frilly costume propelled through the shattered glass by what seemed to be a flaming energy projection of… a gumdrop. Unlike Homura, this girl seemed to be too dazed to recover in the air, falling like a rock head first to her doom. However, before she could go _splat_ on the pavement, a barely audible click was heard, and suddenly Homura was standing before the trio of unwitting bystanders, supporting the other girl's weight with her arm over her shoulder.

"Get a hold of yourself, Tomoe Mami!" Homura demanded, the girl she was supporting shaking her head to recollect herself.

"R-Right… I'm sorry, Akemi-san." Mami replied apologetically.

"H-Homura-chan, what's going…?"

Madoka's question was interrupted by the sound of a horribly distorted roar echoing throughout the parking lot. Out from one of the broken windows came the red and blue monster the girls had been fighting.

"Whoa! What the hell is that!?" Sayaka exclaimed as she watched the monster stick the landing of its three to four story jump and turn to face them.

"Please stay back, that thing is very dangerous!" Mami warned, immediately regaining her composure and standing protectively between the trio of bystanders and the creature.

"…Hey, Nakazawa-kun," Madoka said with a tug of the boy's sleeve. "Doesn't that thing kind of look like…?"

"…Kamen Rider Build?" Sougo concurred, equally as disturbed. Whatever heroic pristine Kiryu Sento had was completely washed away and corrupted, leaving only a grotesque caricature of the armored hero.

It was then that Sougo noticed the state that Homura and her comrade were currently in. Despite their protective posture, they were breathing heavily and sweat dripped from their brows. He could only assume that they had been fighting this creature long before they had stumbled onto the scene, but the way their faces grew pale told him it may have been more than just fatigue.

"Hey, are you two alright, you don't look too good."

"We're _fine_." Homura quickly dismissed, producing a submachine gun from her shield and loading it in a single sharp motion.

"That's right, don't worry about us. Just stay back here where its safe and we'll have this wrapped up in a jiffy." Mami assured with forced bravado, trying her best to hide the fact that they were on their last legs.

"But…!"

Sougo's protest fell on deaf ears as Homura and Mami forced themselves to charge forward and reengage the Build-like monster. The creature raised its hands and produced two energy projections, one in the shape of a piece of butterscotch and the other in the shape of a peppermint, but both emanating a faint, green aura. With a forceful grunt, the creature threw the candy projectiles at the approaching Magical Girls, Mami summoning a pair of rifles to shoot the pieces of candy out of the air. Meanwhile, Homura unloaded her submachine gun on the Build-like monster, only for it to shield itself with its blue left arm, the bullets making audible metallic pings as they bounced harmlessly off of the blue armor.

Regardless, the spray served its purpose, giving them a chance to close the distance as Mami took one of her rifles in both hands like a bat and made an overhead swing at the creature. Unfortunately, the monster easily sidestepped the attack as well as catch her follow up swing with a vice like grip that Mami struggled to free her improvised club from. Meanwhile, the creature threw a side kick at Homura, who brought up her shield just in time to block, but the force of the strike still made her stagger back quite a bit. The creature then pulled on Mami's rifle, forcing the girl front and center and allowing it to knee her in the gut, forcing the air out of her lungs. Mami lost her grip on her weapon and staggered back, leaving herself wide open for a punch to the face that sent her flying back into Homura's arms.

The Build-like monster tossed aside Mami's rifle and summoned into its grip a giant, jumbo swirl lollipop, and with a single wide swing it sent the two recovering Magical Girls flying back, crashing into a nearby parked car.

"Homura-chan!" Madoka cried, watching in horror as Homura and Mami slumped down onto the pavement, nearly unconscious.

"Oh man, this isn't looking good." Sayaka fretted, reflexively taking Madoka's hand, who squeezed back with equal concern.

"Akemi-san…" Sougo muttered, uncomfortable with how much the sight of Homura struggling to stand reminded him of his dream.

"_Ribbon. Timer. Best Match!_" The Build-like monster happily declared as it produced an empty bottle in each hand.

It flicked the caps open and pointed them at the Magical Girls, the right hand bottle glowing yellow and the left hand bottle glowing purple as Homura and Mami suddenly felt themselves being pulled towards them. Homura quickly grabbed hold of the dented door of the car they crashed into, as well as grab hold of Mami's arm as she was nearly pulled forward by the invisible force. Homura struggled with all her might against it, her grip causing more dents in the door and her arms stretched to their full extension as the creature stood and watched as the bottles did their work.

'_Is this… the end? Is this really… how my long battle will end?_' Homura thought as she felt her grip begin to fail her.'_I… I'm so sorry… Madoka…_'

"STOP!" Sougo shouted as he dashed forward and grappled with the Build-like monster by its wrists.

Caught off guard, the creature briefly struggled against the boy's desperate grip, but it was more than enough to break its concentration and free the Magical Girls from whatever invisible force had ensnared them. Unfortunately, it didn't take long for the creature to force its hands out of Sougo's grip, and with an angry grunt it knocked the boy onto the ground with a swift backhand to the face.

"What do you think you're doing… get back!" Homura demanded as she herself struggled to stand.

"I can't do that!" Sougo declared as he stood back up and charged at the Build-like monster with a tackle.

Unfazed, the creature reached out its hand, caught Sougo by the throat, and effortlessly lifted him up off the ground, the boy's feet dangling as he struggled to breathe.

"Nakazawa-kun!" Madoka cried. She attempted to rush to his aid, only to be held back by Sayaka.

"Madoka, don't, it's too dangerous!" Sayaka said as she grasped the smaller girl's arm.

"But...!"

The Build-like monster stared at Sougo with its inhuman eyes, which up close Sougo could now tell were mechanical in some way, peering at him through the visors. Eventually, the creature seemed to decide that the boy was a nuisance it would rather not deal with, tightening its grasp around his throat and rearing back its other hand to deliver the killing blow.

"Tiro Duet!"

Suddenly, before the killing blow could be struck, the Build-like monster was hit with a blast of yellow and purple energy, making the creature lose its grip on the boy and sending them both flying back from the force of the blast. Sougo rolled to a stop on the ground, coughing as he desperately tried to catch his breath, before looking up to see Mami and Homura holding a pristine white and silver crossbow together, trained at where the creature once stood. Their bodies both glowed with a warm yellow and purple light respectively, color returning to their faces as all signs of fatigue began to faded away.

"Stay sharp. Remember, you're opponents are over here." Mami taunted the creature as it recovered from their combined attack.

With an infuriated roar, the Build-like monster hopped back onto its feet and charged forward, immediately reengaging the two Magical Girls in fisticuffs.

"Nakazawa-kun!" Madoka called as she and Sayaka rushed to Sougo's side.

"Are you ok?" Sayaka asked as she and Madoka helped him stand.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine." Sougo assured them, letting out one final cough once he was back on his feet. It was then that a brief flash caught his attention, Sougo looked down to see that the Ridewatch had once again spontaneously appeared in his grasp. "You again?"

"Hey, Nakazawa, didn't that, uh… _wooze_ guy say that that watch of yours can give you power or something?" Sayaka poorly recalled.

"Indeed I did." Woz replied, suddenly appearing beside them.

"Woz-san!" Madoka gasped.

"Hey, what's the deal with ditching us like that!" Sayaka demanded, going completely ignored by the prophet as he turned to face Sougo.

"The power of Zi-O is unrivaled across time and space. Should you accept that power, and your claim to the throne with it, then you would be able to make short work of that monster that is giving those formidable heroines such trouble." Woz asserted.

"Claim… to the throne?"

Sougo had to swallow a knot that formed in his throat, the small device in his hand suddenly feeling far too heavy for him to bear. He didn't know just how much stock he was willing to put into the words of a time traveling prophet, but even with the guarantee of success, the immense responsibility of accepting such a fate still loomed over him ominously. Just this morning, he was just plain old Nakazawa Sougo, ordinary middle school student at Mitakihara Middle School, and now all of a sudden he was supposed to be this future super god king of everything? It was just too much to process at once.

"Homura-chan!"

Sougo was brought out of his stressful introspection by the sound of Madoka's concerned cry. He returned his attention to the battle before them, seeing that Homura had been knocked aside by a particularly strong kick from the Build-like monster. Despite their miraculous recovery, it seems like the two girls were still at a disadvantage when it came to hand-to-hand combat, the majority of the creature's strikes landing and a majority of their own blocked or countered. Sougo looked between Homura and Madoka, the brunette wearing a determined expression as she struggled to keep fighting, while the pinkette looked on anxiously from the sidelines.

It was at that moment that Sougo recalled an eerily similar scene from his dream, Homura fighting a losing battle while Madoka looked on, powerless to help. The difference here, however, was that this time Sougo had the chance to do something about it.

_If you truly wish to overcome this terrible fate, and bring about a brighter future, then you must… become a king._

"…I'll do it… I'll become a king." Sougo finally decided, a satisfied smile crossing Woz's face.

"Nakazawa-kun, are you sure?" Madoka asked, well aware of his apprehension.

"No, not really." Sougo admitted, his grip tightening on the Ridewatch. "I'm… not very good at sports, I'm an average student at best, and I don't have any particularly special skills. No matter how hard I try, I just can't see myself becoming this all powerful king this guy expects me to be, but…" He turned his gaze back to the battle, Homura and Mami giving it their all to protect them. "If it'll give me the power to help those two… then I'll at least give it a shot!"

With that declaration, a pink projection of a clock face flashed on the Ridewatch's unfinished surface, the minute hand making a full clockwise rotation before the Ridewatch flashed again. When the light faded, a white, translucent dial appeared over the watch face, displaying a strange symbol of highly stylized katakana that spelled the word "_kamen_" (カメン) on the top, and displaying the number 2018 on the bottom. Sougo gasped in surprise at the sudden transformation, as did his classmates, the three of them gawking at the Ridewatch.

"My Lo~rd, please accept this!" Woz said in absolute reverence as he kneeled before Sougo and offered him a familiar looking device. Sougo recognized the device as the belt the Red Pilot had worn around his waist as he pursed him outside of his Time Mazine, a white device with two identical black slots on either side and a currently blank display. "I trust you already know how to use it." Woz said as Sougo claimed the belt from the regal red pillow it sat upon.

Surprisingly, somewhere between inference from the last time he had seen it and pure instinct, Sougo _did_ know how to use it, placing the device on his waist as a black belt strap automatically wrapped around him.

"_Ziku-Driver!_" The belt announced its own name as it secured itself around Sougo's waist for the first time. The rest came naturally to him, Sougo holding the Ridewatch out and turning the dial 90 degrees clockwise, revealing the image of a white faceplate with an oddly shaped pink visor.

"_Zi-O!_" The Ridewatch announced as Sougo hit the white button at the top, the device projecting a clearer image of the face on the dial.

He then slid the Ridewatch into the right hand slot of the Ziku-Driver, and arrow sliding from the right to left on the display screen before displaying four simplified clock faces as a standby jingle was played. Sougo pressed the button on the top of the Driver, unlocking it from its vertical position and slightly tilting counter clockwise. A giant clock appeared behind him, the silver hands turning counterclockwise along with the rest of the transparent clock face. The projection caught the attention of the Magical Girls, and even the Build-like monster, their battle momentarily halting as everyone watched Sougo dramatically swing his arms counterclockwise around his body, mimicking the motion of the clock hands.

"Henshin!" Sougo shouted with a flick of his wrists before reaching down and rotating the Ziku-Driver a full 360 degrees with his extended left arm.

"_Rider Time! Kamen Rider Zi-O!_" The Ziku-Driver sang, the word "_Zi-O_" scrolling across the display screen before the number 2018 appeared in pink digital numbers. The clock projection quickly righted itself, the clock hands pointing up at 12:00 before separating to the 10:10 position. With the clock hands settled, large pink Katakana letters appeared on the clock face, spelling out the word "_Rider_" (ライダー). Just a moment after they appeared, the letters flew off the clock face, floating in the air around Sougo as a multitude of silver watch strap-like rings rotated around him.

Once the rings disappeared, Sougo was revealed to be clad in a black power suit with pink and silver accents, a silver watchstrap running down his torso. Strapped on his forearms were a pair of Ridewatch holders, each one currently equipped with two Ridewatches, three blank, one active. His helmet was modeled after a watch face, the silver clock hands pointing at the 10:10 position on the white faceplate, and the floating pink letters shrunk and imbedded themselves into the visor, each letter making a heavy metallic clang as it fell into place.

"Rejoice! He is the heir to the powers of all Riders! Traversing time and space, he is the Ruler of Time that shall reign over past and future! His name is Kamen Rider Zi-O! On this day you have born witness to the dawn of his ascension!" Woz theatrically proclaimed, even as Sougo himself was quizzically looking over his new armored form.

Despite the less than regal figure the flustered boy cut, Madoka and Sayaka stood in absolute awe at their classmate's transformation, his visor and clock hand antennae shining as they caught the afternoon sun. Meanwhile. Homura and Mami were similarly taken aback by the sudden and unexpected development.

"Kamen Rider?" Mami said with a quizzical tilt of her head.

"Ruler of Time?" Homura repeated the epithet with uncertain curiosity.

Sougo was brought out of his curious daze by the sound of a challenging growl from the Build-like monster, the creature squaring up in preparation for the new opponent.

"Well… I did say I was gonna give it a shot!" Zi-O reminded himself before springing into action.

Before the Build-like monster could act, Zi-O immediately closed the distance between them and threw a full force, straight punch into the creature's chest. The monster grunted in pain as it was sent flying back by the surprising force of the simple attack.

"Whoa! That worked?" Zi-O said, shocked by his own sudden power.

"Wow! What a hit!" Sayaka exclaimed with a big, excited smile.

"Keep it up, Nakazawa-kun!" Madoka cheered supportively.

"Right… I can do this!" Zi-O declared, all of his apprehension melting away as he immediately reengaged with the creature.

Woz wore a deeply satisfied smirk as he watched his lord do battle with the creature. With his work finished, he closed the Oma Advent Calendar and took his leave, his absence going unnoticed amidst the chaos.

The Build-like monster went on the offensive, taking a wild swing at Zi-O that the Rider ducked under. The creature followed up with two jabs at Zi-O's face that he was easily able to block, only to be caught off guard when the third jab went into his abdomen, making him stagger back. Fortunately, Zi-O recovered quickly and landed a front kick on the creature's chest to prevent it from stepping into his guard, following up with a quick jab-punch combination that left it dazed and open for a quick roundhouse kick to the face. The hit sent it falling to the ground but it recovered with a shoulder roll, and once it was back on its feet, it summoned an energy projection of a piece of chocolate in each hand, Zi-O raising his guard to defend.

"Wait, don't block them!" Mami suddenly said.

"What?" Zi-O heard the warning just in time to duck under the first projectile thrown. "Whoa! Wah! Why not?" he asked as he sidestepped the second.

"If you touch them, they'll poison you!" Mami quickly explained as she and Homura tended to their wounds.

"Poison?" Zi-O had no time to ponder the legitimacy of the claim as the Build-like monster threw another round of chocolate projections at him. Realizing the disadvantage he would be in if his movement were to be inhibited by poison, Zi-O had no choice but to frantically evade the barrage of candy being thrown at him, completely preventing him from approaching. He narrowly avoided a gumball to the face by leaning back just a bit too far, falling over but managing to recover with a back roll.

'_Damn it, I'm not getting anywhere like this! If only I had…_' Before he even finished the thought, the screen on the Ziku-Driver flashed a bright pink, projecting the word "gun" written in glowing pink katakana letters (ジュウ, _Jū_).

"_Zikan Girade! Jū!_" The Ziku-Driver announced as a black, gun-like device materialized around the letters with the flash of a clock face projection.

"…A gun!" Zi-O cheered as he gladly took the weapon in his hand.

He was made to use it immediately when the Build-like monster threw peppermint at him, Zi-O quickly aiming the Zikan Girade and pulling the trigger, destroying the projectile with a blast of pink energy. The creature didn't let up, throwing two jellybeans that were just as easily shot out of the air, but followed up with a chocolate ball that Zi-O had to roll to the side to avoid. He rolled into a kneeling position and immediately fired multiple shots at the Build-like monster, the pink blasts harmlessly bouncing off the blue armor of the arm it brought up in defense.

With an irritated growl, the monster brought its hands together and produced a large energy projection shaped like a candied apple, its shiny red surface slowly turning black with rot the more power the creature forced into it. Realizing that he wouldn't be able to shoot this attack down, Zi-O rose to his feet and pulled on the clock hand that stuck out of the back of the Zikan Girade, swinging it out until it was perpendicular to the handle.

"_Ken!_" The weapon announced as the letters on its side changed from "gun" to "sword" (ケン, _ken_), the watch hand extending into a proper blade. With sword in hand, Zi-O rooted his stance, charging the blade with pink energy with a pull of the trigger. Eventually, the Build-like monster raised its arms over its head and threw the rotten apple at Zi-O, and with a single diagonal slash across his body, Zi-O cleaved the projectile in two, the halves flying passed and detonating into clouds of noxious gas behind him.

The Build-like monster seemed genuinely shaken from having its powerful attack so easily countered, and in that moment of hesitation Zi-O charged forward, closing the distance between them and swinging his blade at it. The creature avoided the first strike and summoned a giant candy cane to block the follow up slash with. The blade slid off the red and white pole, the creature retaliating with a high swing that the Rider ducked under, only to immediately bring the weapon back around in a low swing that Zi-O needed to take a step back to avoid. The Build-like monster then brought the candy cane down in an overhead slash, but Zi-O managed to bring up the Zikan Girade and catch the pole on the blunt side of the blade. The creature pushed down on the blade with all its might, Zi-O's legs beginning to buckle under the pressure, but at the last minute Zi-O threw a kick into the monster's exposed torso, making it stumble back.

Zi-O pulled the trigger on the Zikan Girade, charging the blade with pink energy and bringing it down on the monster in a powerful two handed slash. The Build-like monster brought up the candy cane to defend, but the energized blade sliced right through it, sparks flying as the blade slashed across the creature's chest and sent it tumbling to the ground in pain. As the creature writhed in pain, Zi-O decided it was time to deliver the finishing blow, discarding the Zikan Girade and tapping the button on the Zi-O Ridewatch.

"_Finish Time!_" The belt announced, looping the sound of a ticking clock as Zi-O hit the button up top to unlock the Driver. As the Build-like monster rose to its feet, it suddenly found itself surrounded by a series of spinning katakana letters, Zi-O jumping high into the air and spinning the Ziku-Driver.

"_Time Break!_" The Driver cried as those very words flashed across the screen. The spinning letters then began to merge together into one, Zi-O extending his right leg into a flying side kick as he descended. Unwilling to just lay down and take the approaching hit, the Build-like monster summoned a giant jumbo swirl lollipop and jumped into the air, winding up to knock the defenseless, airborne Rider back down to Earth. However, before it could even get into range to make the swing, the pink letters flew up after it, hitting it in the back before embedding themselves in the sole of Zi-O's boot, spelling out the word "_kick_" (キック). The letters on his visor and boot overflowed with pink energy, and with one last battle cry Zi-O's Rider Kick collided with the Build-like monster, the resulting explosion engulfing them both in a fiery blast.

The four spectating girls had to shield themselves from the shockwave of the blast, and when they looked back, the grotesque doppelganger was nowhere to be seen, leaving only Zi-O, the victorious hero kneeling on the ground as he landed.

"Whoa!" Zi-O gasped in amazement, examining his still smoking foot that he had just slain a monster with.

"…**HE WON~!**" Madoka and Sayaka cheered in unison, sharing a gleeful high five before rushing to Zi-O's side.

"Way to go, Nakazawa!" Sayaka said, giving the Rider a hardy slap on the back for his efforts.

"You were amazing!" Madoka added, Zi-O sheepishly scratching the back of his head as he received the praise.

Meanwhile, Mami and Homura let out relieved sighs, pocketing the Grief Seeds they had used to restore their magic and dismissing their Magical Girl forms. It appeared that they had made the right decision in withdrawing from the battle to properly recover, but while the day may have been saved, the two Magical Girls were left with far more questions than answers, and that could not stand. However, before they could approach the mysterious Rider with all of their burning questions, their attention was grabbed by yet another unfamiliar face strolling onto the scene.

"I see, so Woz was able to secure your history after all." A familiar voice said to the celebrating group.

Zi-O, Madoka, and Sayaka looked in the direction the voice came from and were met with the scowling face of a young man with short, spiked up black hair. What caught their attention first was the boy's strange outfit; he wore a black and red athletic body suit with a high, zipped up caller that seemed to be held in place with a series of black snap-fit buckles secured across his chest and shoulders. The second thing they noticed was the familiar looking belt strapped around his waist, the very same one that was currently worn by Zi-O.

"A Ziku-Driver? Then that means…!" Zi-O said, having seen the belt only one other time before.

"Ah! You're that guy that's been chasing us all day!" Sayaka shouted, pointing an accusatory finger at the young man she knew to be the Red Pilot

"**What!?**" Homura and Mami gasped in unison, suddenly much more wary of the scowling boy.

"Answer me this; why did you accept the power of Zi-O!?" The Red Pilot demanded as he aimed his piercing gaze directly at Zi-O.

"Huh, _why?_" Zi-O repeated quizzically, trading confused glances with his classmates. His confusion didn't last long as his gaze fell on Homura and Mami, the answer coming to him. "Because, it was the only thing I could do to help. Accepting this power, and fighting that monster… was something that only_ I_ could do!"

The Red Pilot nearly snarled at Zi-O's answer, his fists shaking as they were tightened into enraged fists.

"…Of course, I should have known that would be your answer." He said with his voice dripping with barely contained malice. "If that's the case, then ending your reign of terror is something that only _I_ can do!" He declared as he pulled a red Ridewatch out of the holder strapped to his left arm.

"…Wait, what?"

"_Geiz!_" The Ridewatch announced as the dial was turned and the button pressed. He then slid the device into the right hand slot of the Ziku-Driver, a sequence of binary code scrolling across the top and bottom of the screen. The Red Pilot slammed down on the button up top, unlocking the Ziku-Driver as a projection of a rotating digital clock face appeared behind him, reading 00:00 in red numbers. He struck a dynamic pose, swinging his arms around and resting his hands on the off centered slots of the Ziku-Driver.

"Henshin!" He shouted as he spun the Driver around back into place.

"_Rider Time! Kamen Rid~er Geiz!_" The belt sang in an electronically distorted voice, the word "_Geiz_" scrolling across the screen before the number 2068 appeared in yellow digital numbers. Much like Zi-O's own transformation, rotating watchstraps surrounded the Red Pilot, as large yellow Hiragana letters appeared on the clock face, spelling out the word "_Rider_" (らいだー). The letters flew off the clock and floated around him as he donned his familiar red body suit, the letters embedding themselves in the visor with the same metallic clangs as they landed.

"Prepare yourself, OMA ZI-O!" Kamen Rider Geiz declared with a tightened fist, before charging forward.

"Huh!? W-Wait, hold on a sec…!" Zi-O pleaded, his hands raised in appeasement.

Unfortunately, his protests fell on deaf years, drowned out by Geiz's loud, angry battle cry as he threw his balled fist in a powerful punch at the future Ruler of Time.

* * *

**A/N: And so once again I have turned Random Student C into the star of the show! Like I said, Variable Zero was actually the one who came up with this premise, and I guess he just enjoyed what I did with Nakazawa in my Spider Effect story so much that he wanted to do something similar with this story. In fact, this isn't the first plot bunny we've discussed that had Nakazawa as the protagonist, or at least promoted to a main cast member, so yeah. **

**Now, some of you might be wondering, "hold on, where's Tsukuyomi?", answer... back in canon. So yeah, we decided to cut Tsukuyomi from this story for a few reasons, the main one being that she just doesn't contribute much to the story of Zi-O until near the end, and anything she does contribute early on can be accomplished using other cast members, so for the sake of keeping things just a bit more streamlined, we decided to cut her. **

**Well, I hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter. I'll probably crank out the second chapter soon as well, so look forward to that, and I'll see you all next time, bye!**


	2. Omake 1: The Mystery of the Title

**Omake 1: The Mystery of the Title**

SETTING: Parking lot of the Mitakihara Shopping Center

(Nakazawa Sougo, Kaname Madoka, and Miki Sayaka bow to the audience and open scripts in their hands. Madoka begins to read aloud.)

MADOKA: Kaname Madoka was filled with much unease. After a day filled with mysterious transfer students, time travel, and monsters battling Henshin Heroes and Magical Girls, a single thought plagued the young girl's mind… "I don't understand the title of the story!"

SAYAKA: What!? _That's_ what's got you so uneasy? Not the giant wall back in 2017, or the fact that you marry the Ruler of Time in the future, or, I don't know, the _time traveling assassin_ currently after our classmate's life!?

MADOKA: Well, of course I'm worried about all of that stuff too, but I just can't stop wondering about the title. I understand the English part, but I can't even tell what language the second part is supposed to be.

SAYAKA: Hmm… yeah, can't argue with you there, since I don't really know either.

SOUGO: It's Latin.

MADOKA/SAYAKA: Latin?

SOUGO: That's right, Latin. The subtitle, _Horae Magica_, roughly translates to "magic hour" or "magic clock" in Latin. Since this is a crossover between two stories that heavily feature time travel, the author thought it would be a good fit.

SAYAKA: Huh, that _is_ a fitting title.

MADOKA: But, why did he choose Latin instead of English?

SOUGO: Well, that answer is a little bit more complicated. You see, originally _this_ was going to be the title.

(Sougo shows his script to the camera, revealing the name "Rider Time: Puella Magi Madoka Magica" written on it.)

MADOKA: Rider Time: Puella Magi Madoka Magica?

SOUGO: He wanted the title to emulate the naming format of the Kamen Rider Zi-O spin off web series, to give off the impression that this story was also a spin off of the original. This was the first title he came up with.

SAYAKA: It's kind of… on the nose.

SOUGO: That's exactly what Creative Co-Writer Variable Zero said when Author-san first pitched it, so he decided to change it. This was his second attempt.

(Sougo shows his script to the camera, revealing a new page that read "Rider Time: Clockwork Destiny".)

MADOKA: Rider Time: Clockwork Destiny.

SOUGO: Author-san chose this title in reference to Akemi-san's struggle against Walpurgisnacht, and the terrible fate that kept repeating itself, over and over again, like clockwork, in the original series.

SAYAKA: Wow, that one's actually really cool!

MADOKA: I like that one! Why did the author end up changing it?

SOUGO: Let me ask you something; if you saw this story title just scrolling through a search results page, what kind of fic would you think it was?

MADOKA: Umm… a Kamen Rider Zi-O fic?

SOUGO: Exactly! There's nothing in the title that tells you it's a crossover between Zi-O and Madoka Magica, which, again, was something that was pointed out by Variable Zero. So, it was back to the drawing board for Author-san. In order to properly represent the Madoka Magica series, he decided to do what the anime did and include the Latin word for magic, "_Magica_", in the title. So, after a quick Google Translate search for time related words, he came up with:

(Sougo shows his script to the camera, revealing a new page that shows a screen shot of the cover and description of the story on Monkeycyborgninja's profile page.)

ZIKU-DRIVER VOICE: _Rider Time: Horae Magica!_

SAYAKA: Huh, I guess when you put it like that; Horae Magica really is the perfect title.

MADOKA: You sure know a lot, Nakazawa-kun.

SOUGO: Well, I am the protagonist of this story, so I figured I should at least know this much.

MADOKA: Then, what about the chapter title?

SOUGO: …What?

MADOKA: The title of the first chapter: PRO-LUGU-IAM-HYM-ELL. Is that Latin too?

SOUGO: …Uhh, h-hold on a second, I think I lost my place.

(Sougo begins frantically flipping through his script.)

SAYAKA: (whispers) Madoka, you can't go off script like that!

MADOKA: (whispers) Oh! Uh, s-sorry!

(While the three students try to get back on track, Woz enters the scene stage left)

WOZ: It is German!

MADOKA: Woz-san? Why are you here?

(Woz reads from the Oma Advent Calendar as if it were a script)

WOZ: According to this book, the title of Chapter 1, "Prolog im Himmel 2018", translates to "prologue in heaven", a reference to the first scene in Goethe's theatrical adaption of the legend of Faust.

SOUGO/MADOKA/SAYAKA: Faust?

WOZ: Similarly, in the first episode of the Madoka Magica anime, the very first thing the viewers are shown is a title card with Germanic runes that translate to "Prolog im Himmel 2011", lending credence to the theory that the story of Madoka Magica itself is a modern retelling of the legend of Faust. In addition, Kamen Rider Build also made a reference to Faust in its own series, and since the first chapter also acts as the first half of the Build Tribute Arc, and the wording of the anime title card fits the naming scheme of the Kamen Rider Zi-O episodes, "Prolog im Himmel 2018" was the prefect title for the first chapter of our grand story!

MADOKA: Wow! Author-san really put a lot of thought into this!

SOUGO: Yeah, it sounds like our story is in pretty good hands. By the way Woz, what's the title of the second chapter going to be?

WOZ: …"Best Match 2017".

SOUGO: Just the title of Zi-O Episode 2!?

SAYAKA: What happened to all of that thought he put into the title of Chapter 1!?

WOZ: Well, he only did that because "Kingdom 2068" didn't fit the first chapter, since we never actually got to _see_ the year 2068. The rest of the chapter titles will most likely remain the same as their corresponding episodes.

SOUGO/MADOKA/SAYAKA: EEEEEHHHHHH!? AUTHOR-SAN, PUT MORE THOUGHT INTO IT!

_To Be Continued…_

* * *

**A/N: So yeah, sorry for anyone who was expecting Ch. 2, I just thought it would be fun to do a Supplementary Plan esque Omake series in between chapters when there's something interesting about our creative process (or just something to poke fun at) that I'd like to share with you guys. Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed this little script, and are looking forward to the real Ch. 2 coming soon!**


	3. Best Match 2017

**A/N: Wow, updated in just under a month, huh? That's actually pretty good time for me, I'm glad. Anyway, here's the next chapter of Horae Magica, hope you guys enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kamen Rider Zi-O or Puella Magi Madoka Magica**

* * *

**Best Match 2017**

\- _2017 A.D._ -

Despite their explosive force that could destroy stone, the spray of shimmering bubbles popped harmlessly against the wall of black, thorny vines that protected the Witch. The earsplitting snapping of metallic blades soon filled the room as the young girl that had conjured the whimsical attack was chased around the paper craft room by malicious black sheers. The Magical Girl that had challenged the Rose Garden Witch was a young girl, no older than 12, clad in an orange shawl with white fur lining and a blown skirt held up by brown suspenders. Long, wavy white hair grew out from under her brown hat with subtle animal like ears on either side, and on her belt was a white gemstone shaped like a piece of candy.

The girl frantically hopped around the battlefield, escaping being sheered in half by just a hair's width every time, but in her desperation, she failed to notice the thorny vine that snuck up on her and wrapped itself around her ankle. The Magical Girl cried in pain as the thorns dug into her flesh, the vine lifting her off of her feet and throwing her against the wall of the paper craft chamber. She was slammed against two more walls, creating small craters with each powerful impact, and was eventually thrown onto the ground, left to skid to a stop across the cold hard ground.

The poor girl whimpered as the pain from her injuries began to settle in. She struggled to even get onto her hands and knees, her limbs buckling under her own weight, and just when things were looking grim, they got even grimmer when her magical costume was suddenly dispelled, leaving her in a worn out pink dress.

"What!?" The girl quizzically exclaimed at her sudden transformation, suddenly feeling far weaker. She lifted her left hand up to her face, opening her clenched fist to reveal her Soul Gem. Once a pristine white gemstone, it was now completely dark with taint, the shadowy colors swirling around inside just begging to be released. "No… Nagisa's magic…"

Her panicked thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the Witch letting out an inhuman scream, shaking the very fabric of reality that made up its labyrinth. The Magical Girl, Nagisa, looked back over her shoulder and saw the drooping head of the Witch pop open and reveal the silhouette of a butterfly within the core of the chaotic rose bush. The sheers and thorny vines sprang back to life as the enraged beast loomed over the helpless girl, who could do nothing but let out a horrified shriek as she cowered in a ball on her knees, awaiting her gruesome end at the Witch's hands.

…

…

"Huh?"

Moments passed, the cold embrace of death failing to come upon her, and the horrid, bloodthirsty cries of the Witch suddenly ceased, leaving her in complete, unnatural silence. Slowly, Nagisa raised her head and looked behind her; the Witch seemed to be frozen in the same position as when the girl had looked away, its body glitching like an image on a static filled screen.

"That was a close one." The girl flinched upon hearing the unfamiliar voice, whipping her head around to see an older boy standing before her. He had long hair, long for a boy anyway, swept neatly to either side of his head, a hair tassel falling across his exposed forehead and ending in a blue feather on the right side of his face. He wore an over stylized, baggy, blue suit, with silver ring studs adorned all over it, hand in his pocket while the other was outstretched towards the frozen Witch. "A second later and it would've been all over for you." He said with a playful smile as he lowered his hand and looked down at her.

"W-Who are…?"

"However, that doesn't mean you're out of the woods yet." The boy ignored the girl's confused whimper, strolling around her as he admired his handy work. "According to history, this is the moment your life ends. You're overpowered by the Rose Garden Witch and are never heard from again." He casually informed her, his smile never leaving his face.

"…I… I see." Nagisa replied in a hollow voice.

"You're not scared?" The boy asked over his shoulder.

"Of course Nagisa is, everyone is afraid of dying." She said. "But… Nagisa's life has been very hard as of late. She has been passed from foster home to foster home, rejected by family after family, and all while needing to fight Witches day in and day out. Nagisa is… so very tired." Nagisa's eyes began welling up with tears as she looked up at the paper craft ceiling of the Witch's labyrinth with a somber smile. "But now… Nagisa can finally rest, and most of all… she can see her mother in heaven again." Tears of both sorrow and joy trailed down her cheeks as she resigned herself to her bittersweet fate.

"Sorry, but that's not happening either." The boy briskly denied, grabbing Nagisa's attention once again. "I did say your life was going to end, but I didn't mean you were going to die." He said cryptically, turning on his heel and affixing her with an almost taunting smile.

"What? W-What do you mean?" Nagisa stuttered in confusion. The boy pointed to her hand, Nagisa looking down at her tainted Soul Gem, which glitched in the same manner as the Witch did.

"Haven't you ever wondered what exactly happens when your Soul Gem becomes completely black like that? Why it's called a _Soul_ Gem in the first place? Or how about where Grief Seeds come from?" The boy skipped closer to her with each question he asked, relishing the horrified look that crossed Nagisa's face as she connected the dots.

"No…"

"That's right, when you made your contract, your soul was separated from your body and made into a Soul Gem. Once your Soul Gem turns completely black, it'll become a Grief Seed, and your soul will be reborn as a Witch. Your mind will be forever trapped in a haze of despair, and you'll forced to spread curses for all of eternity!" The boy taunted, bending over to tell Nagisa the devastating news at eye level.

"Nagisa… will become a Witch?" She whimpered, looking up at the grotesque, frozen creature that loomed over them, realizing that it had once been human. "Nagisa will… become the source of all curses in the world… drive innocent men and women mad and…_kill_ them?" She looked back down at her tainted Soul Gem, just a moment away from bursting. "Nagisa will… never get to see her mother in heaven?"

And just like that, her bittersweet ending was cruelly snatched from her fingers.

"No… no, no, NO! Nagisa doesn't want that! PLEASE, ANYTHING BUT THAT!" Nagisa sobbed, grasping her Soul Gem for dear life as she begged for salvation.

"Well, there _is_ another option." Nagisa immediately lifted her head, watching through teary eyes as the boy squatted down in front of her. "If you make a contract with me, I can change the terms of the contract you made with the Incubator."

"Change… the terms…?" Nagisa said between sobs.

"You will still need to spread curses, to balance out all of that hope you brought into the world, but you can do so on your own terms, and with your consciousness intact." The boy explained. "So long as you perform that duty, you can continue living your life as you see fit, and once your karmic destiny has been fulfilled, you can properly die, as a human." With the terms of agreement laid out, the childish smile suddenly vanished from the boy's face. "So, what will it be?" He asked in a cold, almost threatening tone.

Nagisa looked back up at the Rose Garden Witch one last time, it's sickening form caught in the moment it intended to end another's life. This was the fate that awaited all Magical Girls, the fate that awaited Nagisa just one second from this frozen moment in time. She had said it herself just moments before, anything was better than such a horrid fate.

"Nagisa… will contract." She said, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Good girl!" The boy said, a satisfied smile crossing his features.

He then helped Nagisa to her feet, holding his other hand out expectantly once they were both stood. It took Nagisa a moment to realize what he wanted, but soon enough she held out her clenched fist and dropped her Soul Gem into his open palm. The boy then reached into his pocket and pulled out a strange, mechanical device that just vaguely resembled a broken stopwatch and dropped the tainted Soul Gem into it. The black crystal merged with the exposed gears and circuitry of the watch, a purple clock face flashing as the device transformed. It's body had turned a dark purple, while the button and screen turned black, and on the watch face was an image of a grotesque red and blue face.

"Congratulations! From this moment on, you are… Kamen Rider Build!" The boy declared before handing the Anotherwatch to Nagisa.

"Kamen Rider?" Nagisa said quizzically as she took the strange device. Her curiosity getting the better of her, she pressed the button at the top, the watch projecting a distorted image of the red and blue monster face.

"_Build!_" The Anotherwatch announced in a distorted voice. Suddenly, tendrils of black energy emerged from the watch, piercing and weaving through Nagisa's flesh as they traveled up her arm. She let out an agonizing scream as her whole body was engulfed in the energy; painfully altering her body on the cellular level and transforming her into a hideous, red and blue creature that she could only guess was "Kamen Rider Build".

* * *

"Rika-chan!" A Magical Girl in a white and blue robe cried as her friend, a Magical Girl in a red and white dress, was effortlessly flung across the room. The girl in red crashed into the wall of the rose bush tunnel and slid down to the ground, lying motionless as the girl in blue came rushing to her aid.

"Rika-chan… Rika-chan, please wake up…" The girl in blue pleaded as she held the girl in red in her arms. "I can't… I can't keep fighting without you!"

The girl was brought out of her hysterics as she heard the heavy footfalls of their assailant. She looked up at the mysterious, red and blue creature as it approached them, its visors opening to reveal its terrifying mechanical eyes, as it seemed to examine its unwitting prey. No sooner than when they entered the Witch's Labyrinth were they attacked by this monster, and while the duo had become adept at fighting Witches together, this unorthodox opponent proved too much for them to handle. What even was it? A new type of Familiar? A Witch? Unfortunately, the girl had no time to ponder such things as the creature continued to advance on them.

"S-S-Stay back…" The girl in blue just barely audibly threatened, gently laying down her companion and standing protectively over her. "I… I won't let you hurt Rika-chan!" She declared, bringing up the wooden staff that she wielded in defense.

As she brandished her weapon, the small, angelic wing housed at the tip magically grew into a white scythe blade, and with the loudest, most determined cry she could muster, she dashed forward and took a swing at the monster. Unfortunately, the creature effortlessly caught the blade mid-swing, forcing the weapon out of the meek Magical Girl's hand and sending her flying back with a powerful punch to the face. The Magical Girl began to cry as she struggled to get back up, but just when she managed to prop herself up on her hands and knees, the red and blue monster produced two empty bottles and uncapped them. It pointed the bottles at the two Magical Girls, glowing red and blue as they were pulled towards them by an invisible force. With both girls too weak to resist, they both dissolved into red and blue particles and flowed into the bottles, one now holding a red crystal cut in the shape of a fleur-de-lis, and the other holding a blue crystal cut in the shape of a teardrop.

"_Mirror. Scythe. Not a Best Match…_" The monster said in disappointment.

The creature shambled through the rose bush tunnel, the scenery slowly changing into an abandoned park in the middle of a bustling city, as the creature exited the Witch's Labyrinth in search of its next victim.

* * *

\- _2018 A.D._ -

"Prepare yourself, OMA ZI-O!" Kamen Rider Geiz declared with a tightened fist, before charging forward.

"Huh!? W-Wait, hold on a sec…!" Zi-O pleaded, his hands raised in appeasement.

Unfortunately, his protests fell on deaf years, drowned out by Geiz's loud, angry battle cry as he threw his balled fist in a powerful punch at the future Ruler of Time.

Zi-O just barely managed to side step the attack, Geiz immediately following up with a spinning hook kick. Zi-O ducked under kick, only for Geiz to swing his still lifted leg back into a roundhouse kick that nailed Zi-O in the head, causing him to stagger and leaving him open for a spinning back kick that sent the Rider tumbling to the ground. Zi-O recovered with a back roll, but was given no time to think as Geiz sent a flurry of furious punches his way. He put up his guard and frantically blocked every punch he could, and when he finally found a moment to retaliate, Geiz bobbed and weaved passed every single punch Zi-O threw at him. Geiz ended Zi-O's assault with a carefully placed kidney shot that would have surely put him down for the count had his suit not protected him, and followed up with a left hook to the face that sent him staggering back.

However, this time it was Zi-O that reengaged first, attempting to keep the pressure up. However, he was caught completely of guard when Geiz took the arm he brought up to block his first punch with and wrapped it around Zi-O's arm, trapping him and leaving him open to a punch to the face that allowed him to step into his guard and follow up with an elbow strike. Zi-O staggered back in a daze, leaving him open for a powerful stepping side kick that sent him flying back and tumbling to the ground.

"Nakazawa-kun!" Madoka cried as she and Sayaka watched helplessly from the sidelines.

"Ok, seriously, what is your deal!?" Sayaka berated Geiz. "What did Nakazawa ever do to _you_!?"

"Nothing. Not yet anyway." Geiz replied simply, much to the girls' confusion. Geiz ignored their quizzical expressions and narrowed his gaze on Zi-O as he struggled to his feet. "You may be innocent _now_, but you won't be for very much longer. So, for the sake of a brighter future…"

"_Finish Time!_" The Ziku-Driver announced as Geiz pressed the button on the Geiz Ridewatch. He then pressed the button on top, unlocking the Driver and causing what seemed to be a vision of Zi-O bracing himself to appear a few steps behind the weakened Rider himself.

"…You have to die!" Geiz declared before spinning the Ziku-Driver back into place.

"_Time Burst!_" The belt cried as Geiz leaped into the air. Once he reached the apex of his jump, a series of yellow Hiragana letters reading "Rider" and "Kick" (きっく) appeared in a line towards his target, Geiz performing a flying side kick through the letters that lined up with his visor and boot respectively.

Fatigued form the pummeling he just received, Zi-O could only take a few panicked steps back, merging with the vision as he braced himself for the impact of the kick. And quite the impact did the kick make… just not with Zi-O.

"What!?" Geiz said as he suddenly felt some resistance against his foot before he reached Zi-O.

"Huh… Akemi-san!?" Zi-O gasped as he looked up to see that it was Akemi Homura, donning her costume once more, that held back Geiz's Rider Kick against her silver shield. Pushing against the kick with all of her strength, Homura won the clash and sent Geiz flying back, successfully defending Zi-O.

"Now's your chance, take your friends and escape!" Homura commanded over her shoulder.

"But…" Zi-O attempted to argue, but cut himself off as he saw Geiz quickly get back onto his feet.

However, before the red Rider could retaliate, he suddenly found himself constricted by a multitude of bright yellow ribbons.

"What the… _gah_!" Geiz grunted as his bindings suddenly became tighter. Standing behind him was Tomoe Mami, holding the ribbons taut with an iron grip.

"We'll hold him off, just get to safety!" Mami reassured, tightening Geiz's bindings as he struggled to escape. "Consider it repaying you for your help."

"…Ok, thank you!" Zi-O replied with a respectful bow before rushing to meet up with Madoka and Sayaka.

"Grr… out of my way!" Geiz said, the screen on the Ziku-Driver flashing yellow.

The belt projected two yellow letters that sliced through Mami's ribbons, freeing Geiz and making his captor stagger back from the sudden release of tension. Geiz turned on his heel to face the Magical Girl, the letters orbiting around him before stopping on his right, spelling out the word "axe" in Hiragana (おの, _Ono_)

"_Zikan Zax! O-no!_" The Ziku-Driver announced as a black and red axe materialized around the letters, which Geiz grabbed out of the air.

Mami immediately attempted to fire a rifle at the escaped Rider, but Geiz quickly kicked the weapon out of her hand and took a swing at her with his axe. Mami stepped to the side to avoid the strike and leaned back to avoid the follow up slash, allowing her to reach out and ensnare Geiz's weapon arm with her ribbons. Believing she had turned the tables, Mami was completely caught off guard when Geiz grabbed her outstretched arm with his free hand and stepped into her guard, positioning his hip underneath her own and throwing her over his shoulder. Mami landed on her back with a hard thud, dazing her as evidenced by the ribbons around Geiz's arm evaporating into nothingness.

Geiz chambered his free hand for a punch on the prone Magical Girl, but paused just a moment before the barrel of a Desert Eagle was pointed at his face. He only had a moment to react before Homura pulled the trigger, leaping back as she fired multiple shots to keep him at bay. Once he landed a few meters back, he flipped open the blade of the Zikan Zax.

"_Yu-mi!_" The weapon announced as the letters on the side changed from "axe" to "bow" (ゆみ, _Yumi_).

Geiz pulled back the handle on the back of the bow, charging the muzzle with yellow energy before releasing it as an arrow at Homura, who blocked the projectile with her shield. It was then that Mami recovered and summoned three rifles, Geiz avoiding the simultaneous shots with a shoulder roll to the side. He immediately retaliated by firing three arrows, only for Homura to shoot them out of the air.

Meanwhile, Zi-O retreated to the sidelines to regroup with Madoka and Sayaka.

"Where's Woz?"

"Gone, along with the Time Mazine." Sayaka said bitterly.

"What do we do?" Madoka asked.

"I guess we just… make a run for it?" Zi-O clumsily recommended, scratching the back of his helmet in thought. It was then that Sayaka noticed the silver Ridewatch placed in the first slot of Zi-O's Ridewatch Holder.

"Hey, what about _that_ thing?" She said, bringing Zi-O's attention to the device.

"Huh… bike?" Zi-O read the pink Katakana letters displayed on the watch face (バイク).

"I mean, you are a Kamen _Rider_, aren't you?" Sayaka said as Zi-O removed the watch from the slot on the holder.

"…Well, I guess we can give it a shot." Zi-O conceded as he pressed the button on the Bike Ridewatch and tossed it into the air.

Right before their eyes, the Ridewatch grew to full size and folded out into a customized motorcycle. The headlights were stylized like a Rolex watch, with two bright pink eyes as lights with two watch-hand-like antenna: the Ride Striker.

"Whoa! Alright, hop on!" Zi-O instructed as he mounted the motorbike.

Madoka and Sayaka quickly did the same, the three of them just managing to fit on the long seat, and once they were all secure, Zi-O folded up the kick stand and revved the engine to life. With a quick push of his foot, the Ride Striker was off, the sound of the motor grabbing Geiz's attention away from his battle with the Magical Girls.

"Oh no you don't!" Geiz shouted as he removed his own Bike Ridewatch from his holder.

However, before he could activate it, the watch was shot out of his hand, followed by a barrage of bullets that Geiz needed to roll to avoid. Homura and Mami had placed themselves right between Geiz and the escaping Zi-O, and it didn't take long for him to lose sight of them as they left the parking lot and got onto the main road, leaving Geiz with no hope of catching up to them without his own Ride Striker. He looked between the Magical Girls that barred his path and the vanishing sight of Zi-O and his followers, the Rider clicking his teeth in frustration. With his quarry having escaped, Geiz relaxed his combat stance and removed the Geiz Ridewatch from the Ziku-Driver, his suit disappearing in a flash of red light.

"What's this? Are you surrendering?" Mami inquired, her rifles still trained on him.

"I'm letting you off the hook." Geiz concededly replied, much Mami's annoyance. "It's dangerous for Magical Girls to fight anything beside Witches, isn't it? So let's just end it here."

Mami and Homura nearly gasped, clearly surprised that this stranger, this outsider, not only knew about Magical Girls, but also of their universal weakness.

"If you really want to keep fighting, then I won't hold back, but I'd rather not put you in danger just because you're misunderstanding the situation." Geiz said

"Misunderstand?" Homura said curiously.

"That's right. If you want an explanation I'll be happy to give you one; once you hear what I have to say, I guarantee you'll regret letting Zi-O escape." Geiz asserted, the severity of the situation getting across with the look his eyes alone.

'_What do you think, Akemi-san?_' Homura heard Mami's voice in her head. It seems the Incubator had already recovered.

'_He's dangerous, for what he knows just as much as for what he can do._' Homura telepathically replied.

'_I agree, but to choose diplomacy over a fight he knows he has the upper hand in, I think he's at least earned the benefit of the doubt._'

Homura knew that wasn't necessarily the case. By now, she was very familiar with how to play the long game, sacrificing easy victories for a long-term goal, and she wasn't so arrogant to think that she was the only one who knew how to play that game. However, as much of a threat as this boy posed, he wasn't the only unknown variable she had to contend with this time around. Randomness was always something she had to fight against, but rather than just the positioning of the players, it feels like all new pieces have been added to the board, and if she wanted to keep playing, she had to know how exactly those pieces changed the game. It was a risk, but if this "Kamen Rider Geiz" was really willing to share information, then it was a risk worth taking. Besides, she could always just try again.

'_...Agreed._' Homura finally replied, the two girls returning to their civilian guises.

"Very well, let's hear what you have to say." Homura said out loud to Geiz.

"Follow me, it'll be easier to explain elsewhere." Geiz responded, already making his way out of the parking lot without even checking that they were following him.

The two Magical Girls traded one last uncertain look, but did as was asked, letting Geiz guild them to wherever it was they would hopefully get some answers from. Meanwhile, a head of white hair peeked over a nearby bush, a pair of orange and yellow eyes watching intently as the three teens left the vicinity. The girl let out a sigh of relief as she fell onto her back.

"That was a close one." She said, taking a moment to catch her breath and calm her anxious heart. She then brought her hand up to her face; examining the Build Anotherwatch she had been grasping the entire time she had been hiding. "Thank goodness, it's still in one piece." Nagisa sighed, clutching the device to her heart.

When she had been defeated by Zi-O, she could _feel_ the strain it had put on the Anotherwatch, forcing her back into her human form. Thankfully, the resulting explosion concealed her as she fell into the nearby bushes, where she stayed as she watched the confrontation between Zi-O, Geiz, and the Magical Girls play out.

"Nagisa wonders… what would have happened to her if he had destroyed this." She mused, cradling the Anotherwatch in her hands.

_Once your Soul Gem turns completely black, it'll become a Grief Seed, and your soul will be reborn as a Witch…_

"No… Nagisa won't let that happen!" Nagisa said, sitting up from the grass. "She needs more power. She needs to get more bottles. She needs… to get stronger!" She declared before standing back up, ready to get back to work. She shook the watch in her hand, the gears and pins inside making a satisfying rattle, before she pressed the button on top.

"_Build!_" The Anotherwatch announced as Nagisa was transformed back into the Build-like monster, the creature letting out a satisfied growl as it reveled in its own power.

Meanwhile, watching from a nearby rooftop, the boy who had granted Nagisa this power swung his legs happily, a satisfied smile appearing on his face.

* * *

"Alright, I think we lost him." Zi-O said as he drove the Ride Striker out of the shopping district of Mitakihara City. To ensure they weren't being followed, and to avoid unnecessary attention, he had made sure to drive through back streets and alleys, and after a while of driving aimlessly, he figured they weren't being pursued.

"For now, anyway." Sayaka said, recalling how persistent the assassin had been up to this point.

"What do we do now?" Madoka asked.

"Just sit tight, I know exactly where we can go." Zi-O assured as he accelerated down another back road towards their destination.

He drove through a neighborhood in the suburbs of Mitakihara, making his way to the local market place. Eventually, he pulled in front of a quaint little shop, the sign reading "9 to 5 Workshop", familiar only to him.

"What's this… a repair shop?" Sayaka guessed as she and Madoka hopped off the motorbike.

"This is where I live." Zi-O said as he dismounted and went to pull down the kickstand. However, as soon as he was off the seat, the Ride Striker suddenly folded back up and reduced in size, leaving Zi-O to recover the Bike Ridewatch from the ground and place it back in his holder. "We can lay low here for now."

"Are you sure, Nakazawa-kun? What if that bad guy comes looking for us here?" Madoka nervously posited.

"Well, I figure if he knew where I live, he would have attacked me here instead of a crowded mall, so I think it should be safe." Zi-O reasoned.

"Makes sense to me." Sayaka concurred with a shrug.

"Come on in." Zi-O said as he made for the front door.

"Uh, Nakazawa-kun." Madoka said, stopping Zi-O halfway through the door. She awkwardly gestured to her face, the Rider reaching up only to touch his gloved hand to his helmet's faceplate.

"Oh, right, uh…" Zi-O bumbled as he realized he was still transformed.

He reached down and removed the Zi-O Ridewatch from the Ziku-Driver, his power suit disappearing in a flash of pink light. Sougo then removed the Ziku-Driver from his waist and stored both items away on his person before guiding Madoka and Sayaka into the shop. Sougo couldn't help but give a light chuckle as the two girls gawked at the dozens of clocks that lined the walls of the shop, which gave his uncle the time he needed to finish attending to a customer at the counter.

"It looks like it just needs some new parts." Junichiro said after looking over an old radio a lady had brought in. He then wrote up a receipt for the item and handed it to her. "Here, come pick it up in two days."

"Great, thank you very much." The lady said with a grateful bow.

"Thank you for your business." Junichiro replied as he went back to looking over the broken radio. The students traded polite bows with the lady as she walked passed them to exit the store.

"Uncle, I'm home." Sougo spoke up, grabbing his uncle's attention.

"Oh, welcome back, Sougo-kun." Junichiro replied as he began writing in a logbook on the counter.

"Was that a customer just now?" Sougo asked.

"Yes, she asked if I could fix her old radio… even though this is a clock shop." The old clocksmith lamented with a sigh.

"I can't imagine how anyone can think otherwise." Sayaka quipped, earning a giggle from Madoka. It was then that Junichiro looked up from his work, finally taking notice of the two schoolgirls.

"Oh, we have guests!" He said as he put on a friendly smile and quickly fixed his appearance. "Are these your friends from school, Sougo-kun?" He asked his nephew as he came out from behind the counter.

"Uh…" Sougo wasn't sure how to answer the question. Technically speaking, they had only really known each other for a day. Certainly they were acquaintances now, but friends? "They're… my classmates."

"I'm Miki Sayaka." Sayaka introduced herself.

"My name is Kaname Madoka, please excuse the intrusion." Madoka said with a polite bow.

"Well, it's very nice to meet you both, I'm Sougo-kun's great-uncle, Nakazawa Junichiro." Junichiro introduced himself with his own polite bow and a beaming smile.

"I'm gonna go change out of my uniform. Make yourselves at home, Miki-san, Kaname-san." Sougo said as he made his way to the staircase.

"Oh, yes, please sit, I'll make you some tea while you wait!" Junichiro insisted as he practically forced the two girls to take a seat at a table in the lounge area of the workshop. "Please wait a bit." He said before quickly retreating into the kitchen.

Sougo let out an embarrassed sigh before climbing the stairs, leaving Madoka and Sayaka to his uncle's hospitality.

* * *

\- _2068 A.D._ -

On the outskirts of a ruined city, in a desolate wasteland that gave way into an untamed mountain side, stood a single stone monument depicting a young boy posing dramatically in front of a clock face with the word "rider" emblazoned on it in Katakana. Standing at the boy's side, forming a perfect ring around the clock, were statues of nineteen different armored warriors, each striking their own dramatic pose. Imbedded on the platform that elevated the boy above the rest of the statues, there was a brass plaque that read "Commemorating the first transformation of Nakazawa Sougo".

Standing before the monument, form barely visible behind the cloud of dust that danced in the wind, was a tall figure in an ornate black and gold power suit. A golden watchstrap draped around his left shoulder to his right hip like a regal sash, while blank Ridewatches adorned his chest armor like medals of Honor. Two ornate watch hands extended from his back like a cape, and around his waist was a golden, more pristine version of the Ziku Driver, the number 2018 displayed on the screen in red numbers. Two golden watch hands fell on the 10:10 position on his jewel incrusted faceplate, and the word "_rider_" was emblazoned on the visor in red Katakana letters.

This was the Ruler of Time: Oma Zi-O.

He stood patiently in the cloud of dust, his quarry fast approaching. He heard them long before he saw them, the desperate, animalistic cries of men and women who were out for blood, his blood. Soon enough, out from the untamed brush of the mountainside, came an army of dirt covered, rag clad resistance fighters, filling the barren waste with their battle cries as they charged towards the Ruler of Time. As soon as they were in range, the resistance fighters open fired upon Oma Zi-O, an invisible force stopping the rain of bullets before they ever reached him. Not that it would have mattered if they had, their weaponry was so laughably outdated that they wouldn't have even left a scratch on his armor had they landed.

But such things did nothing to deter the resistance, as the battalion continued with their assault. Oma Zi-O just stood there, motionless, waiting until the desperate soldiers were close enough that he could see the whites of their eyes. And then, with a flick of his wrist, the entire army went up in flames. Immediately, their determined battle cries turned into agonizing screams as the members of the resistance were ripped apart, burnt to a crisp, or blasted into the air by the spontaneous explosions that went off all across the barren waste, leaving no resistance fighter unscathed.

However, even above their cries of anguish, Oma Zi-O could still hear the sound of missiles being fired in the distance, and out from the mountain side came a barrage of warheads, each one perfectly trained on his location. Again, Oma Zi-O didn't move an inch, waiting until the missiles had gotten just a bit too close for comfort before reaching out his hand, the weapons freezing in the air, trapped in a single moment in time. The Ruler of Time then let out a light chuckle as he was suddenly surrounded by Time Mazines in their robotic battle modes, it seems that the missiles were only meant to draw his attention enough to allow the real assault force to get into position. And yet, the clever tactic was for not, as Oma Zi-O flung each and every one of the Time Mazines aside with a single flick of his wrist. One by one the mechanical warriors were effortlessly disposed of, either tossed to the side or flung into one of the inert missiles, detonating it and obliterating the Time Mazine and its pilot with it.

With the immediate threat vanquished, Oma Zi-O extended his hand, bringing the chaos around him to a sudden, unnatural stop, yet leaving the anguishing resistance fighters completely conscious.

"Those that would appose me have no place in this world. Do you know why?" Oma Zi-O addressed the writhing masses. However, before an answer could be given, before the resistance could even contemplate the question, Oma Zi-O retracted his hand into a fist, sending a wave of decaying energy out across the wasteland. The wave disintegrated all in its path, the only things spared were the resistance fighters who were lucky enough to be hiding within a few trenches, and the massive monument that towered over the Ruler of Time.

"Because guiding humanity into a brighter future… is something that only _I _can do." The Demon King declared, the flow of time resuming.

* * *

Mami and Homura watched in stunned silence as the horrific events unfolded on the screen of Geiz's Data Tablet, the boy pausing the video on the clearest image of Oma Zi-O.

"This is Nakazawa Sougo, fifty years in the future; the most _vile_, most _feared_ Demon King of all time." Geiz practically snarled, voice dripping with contempt.

"I don't understand, are you saying that _this_ is the same boy that fought with us today?" Mami said.

"Today?"

"Well, of course I don't mean _today,_ but…" She tried to correct herself, looking out bewilderedly at her surroundings for what felt like the hundredth time.

\- _1671 A.D. _-

The Magical Girls felt like they had walked straight into a period drama, surrounded by traditional Japanese style buildings and civilians all wearing various styles of traditional kimono. As the three teens sat on the porch of a teashop, they received strange looks from the locals, presumably for their modern, western style clothing. When they had agreed to listen to what Geiz had to say, the first thing he did was take them back in time to the Edo Period, preemptively proving his claim that he was a time traveler from the year 2068. Homura couldn't help but feel a bit perturbed at how easy it was for him, but the petty grievance was quickly forgotten once he actually started explaining things.

"What she means is, are you certain that the boy we encountered on May 25th, 2018 is the one that becomes this "Demon King" in the future?" Homura said.

"Of course, see for yourself." Geiz said as he adjusted the image on the Data Tablet to show the monument behind Oma Zi-O. "Whenever anyone stands against Oma Zi-O, be it a town, a city, or a country, they are wiped off the face of the Earth, and he erects one of these monuments immortalizing his very first transformation on top of the remains. "For it is at this moment that their fates were sealed", or so he says." He bitterly spat the phrase. "Well, how does it compare to the real thing?"

Even through the dust-obscured video, the unnaturally perfect depiction of Nakazawa Sougo was plain for the girls to see. They themselves had born witness to this very moment, and to see it perfectly immortalized as a malevolent tyrant's rise to power was more than a little unsettling.

"But… but that just can't be." Mami denied. "Before he could even transform, that boy risked his life to rescue us from that monster! Someone that selfless… I just can't see him doing something so heinous."

'_Can't, or just don't want to?_' Homura thought, knowing full well the reason behind the veteran Magical Girl's protest, but kept it to herself.

"Selfless? You mean when he fought the Another Rider?" Geiz questioned.

"Huh?"

"Another Rider?" Homura said quizzically.

However, Geiz became distracted when their waitress came to give them another round of drinks. He snatched his data tablet back from Mami and made the waitress outstretch her hand as he opened a new application on the device. He scrolled through a few images of what seemed to be various types of money, until he finally came upon an image of eight gold coins that would have been used during the Edo Period. With two swipes of his finger, the images were scrolled out of view of the screen and materialized in the woman's hand as physical coins, much to her bewilderment. With only a polite nod, she frantically retreated back into the shop.

"…We've attracted too much attention." Geiz said as he took one last sip of his freshly made tea.

"And whose fault do you think that is?" Homura said under her breath.

"Let's go, I'll explain more on the way back to 2018."

With that order, Geiz stood up and guided the girls back to where they had left the Time Mazine, a few villagers gawking as they watched the mechanical monstrosity fly into the air and disappear through a portal into the timestream.

* * *

\- _2018 A.D._ -

"Wow~! This tea is amazing!" Madoka cooed happily as she took another sip.

"I'm so glad you like it." Junichiro said with a satisfied smile. "This particular blend is really easy to mess up, so it took me a while to figure out how to make it correctly."

"Well it was worth the effort. This stuff's delicious!" Sayaka declared.

"Just be thankful you weren't around to taste the failures." Sougo quipped, taking a sip from his own cup. The boy had returned to the workshop wearing a turquoise button up shirt and a pair of brown pants, and now sat with his classmates in the lounge as his uncle served them the tea he promised.

"Oh, by the way Sougo-kun, I need to go pick up some parts I need to fix the radio, so can you please watch the shop while I'm gone?" Junichiro requested.

"Ok." Sougo easily complied.

"Great, I'll be right back." Junichiro said as he took off the tool belt that hung around his waist and set it on his workbench behind the counter. "Feel free to help yourselves to whatever's in the kitchen." He offered.

"Alright!" Sayaka replied.

"Thank you very much." Madoka said with a bow.

"Well, I'm off, have fun with your friends, Sougo-kun." Junichiro said.

"Have a safe trip." Sougo replied as his uncle exited the shop.

"You're uncle is a really nice person, Nakazawa-kun." Madoka said.

"And he makes a mean cup of tea too." Sayaka added.

"Sorry if he went a little overboard with the hospitality, he just gets excited when we have guests." Sougo said with a bashful smile.

"No complaints here." Sayaka assured as she took another sip of her tea. "So… this is where you live." She said, taking another look around the modest little clock shop.

"Yeah, I know it's not much, but it's home." Sougo replied.

"Do your parents live here too?" Madoka innocently asked, Sougo's polite smile vanishing from his face.

"Uh, no, they… they died when I was little." He said, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck.

"Oh… I-I'm sorry, I didn't…"

"That's ok, I know you didn't mean anything by it." Sougo tried to reassure the guilty looking girl. "…Hey, the other day a customer gave us some homemade pastries for fixing her heater." He mentioned, the girls immediately perking up. "I think we still have some left."

"Indeed you do, my Lord." Said a familiar voice as a platter of three pastries was placed on the table. The three teens all jumped out of their seats as Woz suddenly appeared beside them.

"Woz! There you are!" Sougo said.

"Please forgive my intrusion upon your home, my Lord, but there are a few matters that wish to discuss with you." Woz explained with an apologetic bow.

"Great, how about we start with how you keep _ditching_ us at the worst possible times!" Sayaka said, poking an accusatory finger in the prophet's chest. However, Woz simply grabbed the digit and pushed it against the joint, earning a pained cry from the blunette as she instantly backed off.

"Do not misunderstand my absence for negligence. As the prophet of Oma Zi-O, my duty is to merely guide my Lord onto the correct path towards ascension, just as it has been written." Woz explained, taking a seat on a chair by the counter as he opened the Oma Advent Calendar. "According to this book, after first obtaining the power of Zi-O and emerging victorious in his inaugural battle, Nakazawa Sougo shall reconvene with his allies at his homestead to discuss their next move. So you see, even with Geiz-kun's interference, you are right where history demands that you be, and so I felt no need to intervene until now."

"Geiz...?" Sougo repeated the familiar sounding name. "You mean, that guy that's been chasing us all day? Just who is he anyway?"

"You see my Lord, while you shall be a wise and just ruler, there are those that will reject the concept of a global monarchy on principle alone." Woz stated. "As such, within the next fifty years, various resistance factions shall come and go, all with the misguided goal of removing you from power; Geiz-kun is a member of one such resistance group.

"So, this Geiz guy came back in time in order to kill Nakazawa before he can become king?" Sayaka deduced.

"I'm afraid so." Woz confirmed.

"I see…" Sougo let out a tired sigh. "I guess being a king _would_ come with baggage like that." He lamented.

"But, that's why you're here, right Woz-san? To prevent that from happening." Madoka said hopefully.

"Of course, I shall do what I can to ensure history remains unchanged, but I'm afraid we have matters more pressing than a single assassin to address." Woz answered.

"Really… like what?" Sougo asked hesitantly.

"The Time Jackers."

* * *

"Time… _Jackers_?" Mami repeated the odd title.

"That's right." Geiz said as he steered the Time Mazine through the timestream. "They're a small, but dangerous resistance group that only want to seize power for themselves. Apparently, they managed to steal some of Oma Zi-O's time powers and are using them to alter history, in order to groom their own king. They transform the candidates they choose into Another Riders, and send them out to accumulate power."

"So, that red and blue thing we fought…" Homura said.

"It was most likely trying to absorb your magic, so that it could one day challenge Oma Zi-O for the title of king." Geiz asserted. He then brought the Time Mazine out of the timestream, landing in an out of the way spot somewhere in Mitakihara City in 2018. "Get it now? Zi-O wasn't protecting you; he was just eliminating his competition for the throne. Nothing _selfless_ about it." He claimed as the three of them disembarked.

"Now hold on, isn't that only your assumption?" Mami accused. "Even if I believe everything you're saying about Demon Kings and Time Jackers, wouldn't Nakazawa Sougo be just as ignorant to all of this as we are?"

"No, he wouldn't." Geiz immediately denied. "When Zi-O first transformed, there was someone else there with him, wasn't there? He gave some grandiose speech about the "Ruler of Time"?"

"Speech…?"

_Rejoice!_

"You mean, that man with the book?" Mami recalled.

"Yes, that person is called Woz." Geiz explained. "He's Oma Zi-O's most devoted follower; well, _fanatic_ is probably the best way to describe him."

"I see, so this "Oma Zi-O" had sent his younger self an ally from the future." Homura said thoughtfully.

"That's right." Geiz confirmed. "Woz has already interfered when I tried to eliminate Nakazawa Sougo before he could obtain the power of Zi-O. While he was in contact with them, he definitely would have explained the situation to his future king and queen." He claimed.

"…Wait, queen?"

"He had two girls with him, didn't he? One of them marries him in the future and becomes Oma Zi-O's queen." Geiz explained, failing to notice Homura's shocked expression.

"Wait, don't tell me you intend to…" Mami began, but was quickly shut down.

"Of course not, my only target is Zi-O." Geiz assured, much to Mami's relief.

"…Which one?" Homura said.

"Huh?"

"Which one of those girls… is Zi-O's future queen?" She stiffly clarified, her head lowered as to not reveal her anxious gaze.

"…Kaname Madoka."

Homura's heart skipped a beat, her breath hitching at the earth shattering revelation she had just received. Her legs began to buckle under her own weight, and she had to fight to keep tears from spilling from her eyes.

'_Madoka… is alive in the future? Madoka is… married in the future? She survives Walpurgisnacht… she will fall in love soon… she will live a long, comfortable life… as the wife of a tyrant… Madoka… MADOKA!_'

Eventually, the weight of her conflicting emotions became too much, and she fell to her knees as a cold chill ran up her spine.

"Akemi-san!" Mami said as she kneeled down beside her. "What's wrong?"

"…Huh?" Homura gasped as she noticed the concerned look on Mami's face. "Oh, I… I'm sorry, I think I may just be a bit tired." She claimed, cradling her head in her hand. Mami breathed a sigh of relief.

"I see, I suppose that's to be expected, considering the day we've had." Mami said with a sympathetic smile before helping Homura to her feet.

"KYAAAH!" A sudden shriek pierced through the air, bringing everyone's attention to a bridge overhead.

Mami and Homura gasped in astonishment, as standing on the bridge, arm outstretched with glowing bottle in hand, was the red and blue monster, the Another Rider, that they thought had been vanquished. Across the bridge, a Magical Girl with long blue hair tied back in a ponytail was in the process of being pulled in by the bottle, while a second magical girl with short grey hair desperately tried to keep a hold of her. Eventually, the invisible force won out, and the blue haired Magical Girl dissolved into particles and was absorbed into the bottle, which now contained a blue crystal cut into a blue, winged heart.

"Natsuki-chan!" the grey haired Magical Girl cried as the Another Rider let out a satisfied roar at its successful capture. "You bastard… give Natsuki-chan back RIGHT NOW!" She demanded before dashing forward at inhuman speeds and throwing a powerful punch with her metal clad fist.

Unfortunately, the Another Rider effortlessly caught the punch with its blue hand, much to the Magical Girl's shock. Before she could retreat, the Another Rider reached out and grabbed her by the throat, the girl struggling to breath as the creature examined her with its mechanical eyes.

"The Another Rider!" Homura said.

"But… but how, it was already defeated!" Mami reminded her as they both prepared their Soul Gems to fight.

"Or maybe that's just what Zi-O wanted you to think." Geiz said as he stepped forward and equipped his Ziku-Driver.

"_Ziku-Driver!_"

"Huh? What are you…?"

"You just said you were tired, didn't you? Not to mention it's still dangerous for you to fight it." Geiz said to them over his shoulder. "Just leave this to me. There's no point in eliminating Zi-O if this thing just takes his place." He said as he removed the Geiz Ridewatch from his holder, turned the dial, and activated it.

"_Geiz!_" The device announced before he slid it into the right hand slot of the Driver and hit the button on top. The rotating digital clock manifested behind him as he struck a dynamic pose and rested his hands on the off kilter slots.

"Henshin!" He shouted as he spun the Ziku-Driver around.

"_Rider Time! Kamen Rid~er Geiz!_" The belt sang as his power suit materialized around him, the yellow Hiragana letters flying out from the digital clock and imbedding themselves into his visor.

Now fully transformed, Geiz sprung into action, leaping up to the bridge in a single bound and grabbing the Another Rider by the shoulders, forcing it to the ground. The Magical Girl was dropped from its grasp and began gasping for air on the ground, Mami and Homura quickly rushing to her side while Geiz rose to his feet and engaged with the grotesque doppelganger.

* * *

"So there are other people trying to change the past?" Sougo said after Woz's explanation of his adversaries.

"Indeed. I am the only one that wishes to maintain the flow of time as it has been." Woz replied, rising from his seat and casually walking behind the counter as he looked at a page in his book. "Speaking of which, I must speak with you in regards to Another Build, which you have just defeated."

"Another Build?" Sougo said quizzically.

"Pardon me, I suppose I should call it Kamen Rider Build." Woz corrected himself.

"Eh? Kamen Rider Build?" Madoka gasped in disbelief. "But… but that can't be!"

"Wait, who's Kamen Rider Build?" Sayaka asked.

"Kiryu Sento; he found us and helped us out when we crash landed in 2017." Sougo explained.

"Oh~, so he was one of those guys that Woz knocked out back at that café?" Sayaka recalled.

"Uh… yeah." Sougo awkwardly confirmed. "But, that thing I fought wasn't Build. It… kind of looked like him, but it definitely wasn't!"

"The Time Jackers have altered history. As things stand, that thing is in fact Build." Woz simply explained.

"But… but then what happened to Kiryu-san?" Madoka asked her voice filled with concern.

"Who knows?" Woz replied in utter disinterest.

"No way…"

"But wait, if that Another Build thing was what changed history, then things should be back to normal now that it's gone, right?" Sayaka suggested, Madoka and Sougo perking up.

"That is precisely what I wished to discuss with you, my Lord." Woz said, turning around to face them from behind the counter with a knowing smile on his face. "While you may have bested Another Build, you did not truly defeat it."

"What!?" Sougo gasped.

"As we speak, it has revived itself and is on the hunt for more victims to draw power from." Woz continued.

"Oh no!" Madoka cried.

"Geez, you should have started with that!" Sougo chastised as he rushed to get his shoes on.

"Your haste is not needed, my Lord." Woz casually assured his panicked master. "Even if you were to scour the city and come upon your quarry, as you are now I am afraid you cannot defeat Another Build."

"What!?" Sougo said just before he could dash out of the doorway.

"Why not, I thought Zi-O's power was supposed to be unbeatable or something?" Sayaka said, equally as confused.

"I'm afraid the situation is far more nuanced than simple physical strength or combat prowess." Woz asserted. "You are familiar with the idiom "fight fire with fire", are you not my Lord?" He waited for Sougo's agreeing nod. "In the same vain, the only thing that can defeat Another Build… is the power of Build."

"Only Build… can defeat Build?" Sougo repeated.

"That's right, without the power of Build, any and all efforts to defeat Another Build will be for naught." Woz warned ominously.

"…Ok, so we just need to find the _real_ Kamen Rider Build then, right?" Sougo said, the smile on Woz's face answer enough.

"But how? Didn't we just establish that we don't know where he is?" Sayaka pointed out the obvious obstacle.

"Maybe… Maybe we can try looking at the last place we saw him." Madoka suggested, Sougo's face lighting up with realization.

"Caffé Nascita!" He recalled, Madoka nodding in agreement. With their new goal set, the trio rushed out of the shop, only for Sougo to quickly double back around. "Oh, wait! Hey, Woz, do you think you could watch the shop while we're gone?" He requested.

"Of course, my Lord. It would be my greatest honor to be of use to you." Woz humbly accepted the task with a reverent bow.

"Uh… ok, thanks." Sougo said before dashing back out the doorway, Woz taking a seat and flipping through the Oma Advent Calendar as he performed his sworn duty of housesitting.

* * *

Sougo pulled into the alleyway where the front entrance of Caffé Nascita was located, the trio dismounting the Ride Striker before it folded back into a Ridewatch that Sougo pocketed. The sign on the door read "open" in Italian, so Sougo wasted no time entering, and once he noticed that nobody else was present, he immediately went for the refrigerator. However, the only thing he found when he swung the door open were shelves filled with food, beverages, and condiments, as one should expect from a fridge.

"What the…?"

"Welp, nobody's here. So much for that plan." Sayaka lamented.

"But, they have to be… they just _have _to!" Madoka desperately pleaded.

Suddenly, as if her prayers were answered, the trio heard an excited cheer coming from outside, and a moment later an odd duo entered the café.

"**Tsunagizu are the **_**best**_**!**" They ecstatically shouted in unison. They both wore matching black t-shirts with a yellow logo that read "Tsunagizu: First Big Tour 2018", and draped around their shoulders were small towels drenched with sweat.

"_Kuuuu_~! That was _so_ exciting, Banjou my friend! Their first live concert at the Budokan!" The first half of the duo declared, smiling from ear to ear. He was a man in his early to mid twenties, with a long face and slanted eyes that Sougo and Madoka didn't recognize. "Oh man, I feel like I've cried 9.8 Newtons worth."

"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about, Takumi my friend, but rest assured that this is only the beginning of the legend of Tsunagizu!" The second half of the duo declared as he wrapped an arm around his excited friend's shoulder. Now _this _man Sougo and Madoka recognized, though his hair was no longer bleached as they remembered it being. "And tonight…"

"**We chow down on grilled meat!**" The duo exclaimed into a microphone that, for some reason, was set up in the middle of the café.

"Um, Banjou-san?" Sougo spoke up, the duo finally noticing their presence.

"Huh? This a friend of yours?" The man called Takumi said curiously.

"Nope, never seen him before." Banjou Ryuga casually denied.

"What? Come on Banjou-san, it's _us_! You know, the time travelers from only one year in the future." Sougo tried to remind him.

"Technically only half a year!" Madoka corrected.

"Right, _half_ a year in the future, remember?" Sougo insisted, only for Ryuga to trade a confused look and an ignorant shrug with Takumi. "…Well, it doesn't really matter if you remember us, I just really need to talk to Kiryu-san!" He urged, but Ryuga's confusion did not leave him.

"Kiryu?" He repeated the name quizzically.

"Kiryu Sento, Kamen Rider Build, remember!? You fought alongside him as Kamen Rider Cross-Z!" Sougo desperately tried to remind the increasingly baffled young man.

"Build?" Takumi repeated.

"Cross-Z? Sorry, never heard of 'em." Ryuga denied, much to Sougo's confusion.

"Um… ah, _there!_" Madoka exclaimed, grabbing everyone attention as she pointed to a poster hanging from a nearby wall. "That's him, Kiryu Sento-san!" On the poster, four oddly dressed band mates were posing with construction equipment, holding them as if they were instruments. At the center of the ensemble was indeed the man Sougo recognized as Kiriyu Sento, his normally neatly combed hair styled up in wild spikes.

Ryuga and Takumi both looked between the poster and the frantic sounding pinkette… and then burst into laughter.

"I think you children are confused. _That_ is Satou Taro, founder and lead vocalist of the greatest rock band of our generation, _Tsunagizu!_" Takumi reverently exclaimed, the duo presenting the bands logo on their shirts.

"Eh? Tsunagizu?" Madoka said with a quizzical tilt of her head.

"Oh yeah, I've heard of them, not really my kind of sound though." Sayaka stated.

"No, really, _that's _Kiryu Sento!" Sougo insisted.

"Man, if you guys don't even know who Satou Taro is, then you're in the _wrong_ café my friends." Ryuga said. "This is an official Tsunagizu Fan Café, you know."

It was then that the group finally noticed all of the Tsunagizu paraphernalia lining the walls of Caffé Nascita. Where there was once subtle but tasteful décor, there were now obnoxious posters with the bands name plastered all over, topped off with an autographed t-shirt that was displayed on a mannequin in the middle of the shop.

"So… that's really not Kiryu-san?" Madoka said in disbelief.

"Do you think this is what Woz meant by history being altered?" Sougo posited, the trio pondering the possibility as Ryuga and Takumi simply gave them a confused look.

* * *

Geiz slashed down on Another Build with the Zikan Zax, sparks flying off its carapace as it was sent flying back in pain. As the fight was underway, Homura and Mami tended to the grey haired Magical Girl, using magic to lull her to sleep in order to keep her out of the fight. As the Another Rider struggled to stand, Geiz removed the Geiz Ridewatch from the Ziku-Driver and placed it into a slot on the Zikan Zax.

"_Finish Time!_" The weapon announced as he pressed the button on the slot, the axe blade charging with red energy as a standby sound looped. "_Geiz! Zakkuri Cutting!_" The weapon cried as he pulled the trigger, releasing the energy in a powerful swing, the arcing energy creating the shape of a clock as it cleaved through Another Build.

The creature let out an agonizing cry, as it was defeated in a fiery explosion.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at Caffé Nascita, a faint light shown from Ryuga and Takumi's pockets, grabbing everyone's attention. The two of them reached in and pulled out two blank Ridewatches, Takumi's glowing with a faint red aura as Ryuga's glowed a faint blue.

"Ridewatches?" Sougo gasped in surprise. "Why do you two have those?" He inquired, recalling that Sento had said they were impossible to make with current generation technology.

Before he could receive an answer, Ryuga and Takumi's forms began glitching, turning almost completely hazy before clearing up again, revealing Ryuga with his bleached hair, and Takumi completely transforming into the man that Sougo and Madoka recognized as Kiryu Sento.

"Whoa! What just happened?" Sayaka exclaimed at the sudden transformation, her classmates sharing her shock and confusion.

As Sento and Ryuga looked up from their watches, they looked around in confusion at their familiar, yet unfamiliar surroundings. Eventually, they noticed that Ryuga had an arm wrapped around Sento's shoulders, the two immediately separating with disgusted cries.

"Creepy…" Ryuga said as a shiver ran up his and Sento's spines.

"Kiryu-san, you're back!" Madoka cheered happily, relieved at the familiar man's return.

"Huh… you two are…"

"Oh! The couple from one year in the future!" Ryuga hastily completed Sento's thought.

"Well, half a year, and I don't think they ever said they were a couple." Sento corrected his would be assistant.

"**We're not!**" Sougo and Madoka denied with flushed faces.

"Yeah, yeah, you can be embarrassed about that later, right now we've got bigger problems!" Sayaka said, urging them to get back on track. "Build, Cross-Z, we need your help!"

"What's wrong?" Sento said, he and Ryuga tossing aside their confusion and fully willing to give them their aid.

However, their attention was grabbed again when the glow on the Ridewatches coalesced into glowing clock face, each one making a full rotation before the watches transformed in a flash of light.

"_Build!_" Sento's watch announced, transforming into a blue Ridewatch with a red dial and button, the symbol of a bisected gear displayed on the top and the year 2017 displayed on the bottom.

"_Cross-Z!_" Ryuga's watch announced, transforming into a blue Ridewatch with an orange dial and button, a caricature of Cross-Z's helmet displayed as his symbol on the top and the year 2017 displayed on the bottom.

"What the heck is this?" Ryuga asked as he quizzically examined the Ridewatch.

"…I remember now." Sento said, recognizing the transformed device.

_Armor Time!_

With a knowing smile, he handed Sougo his Ridewatch.

"Here, you can have this back." He said.

"Huh? But…"

"Give my regards to my past self." Sento cut him off with the cryptic message. "…Yours too." He ordered the confused looking Ryuga.

"Huh? I don't get it." He complained, but handed over his Ridewatch regardless.

"But, wait, these aren't…" Sougo attempted to refuse. However, before he could get a word in edgewise, Sento and Ryuga's forms glitched again, and a moment later Sento had reverted back to Takumi and Ryuga's hair was no longer bleached. "What the…?"

"Well, I'm sorry we couldn't help you find your friend." Takumi said with an apologetic smile.

"Feel free to stick around though, tonight this place is gonna be serving… _grilled meat!_" Ryuga said, bending his body backwards in a ridiculous, uncomfortable looking pose.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Banjou, they're not fans, remember? They won't understand that." Takumi lamented.

"Oh, right." Ryuga said, quickly standing back up straight.

"I… wait… we just… didn't you…?" Sayaka stammered incoherently, the duo giving her a strange, ignorant look.

"Uh, thanks for the offer, but I think we're just gonna keep on looking." Sougo quickly said, already guiding the befuddled blunette out the door.

"Uh…alright, good luck." Takumi awkwardly bid them farewell as the three teens filed out of the café.

"Uuuugghhh~! What the heck! I knew time travel was confusing, but this is just ridiculous!" Sayaka complained, running her hands through her hair in frustration.

"What do we do now? Without Kiryu-san, how are we going to beat Another Build?" Madoka asked, voiced filled with dread as she wrung her hands together nervously.

"…Give my regards… to my past self?" Sougo repeated the cryptic message, looking down at the Ridewatches he had just received. "…Hey, didn't Another Build have the year 2017 written on its back?" He asked.

"Huh? Um… yeah, I think so." Sayaka could just barely recall the minuet detail from the brief glances she managed to catch of the creature's back.

"Here, look at this." Sougo said, handing Sayaka the Cross-Z Ridewatch. "Both of these watches are labeled 2017, and when Kaname-san and I were in the past, Kiryu-san was still Kamen Rider Build. So, whatever the Time Jackers did to change the past must have happened in 2017."

"So, if we go back in time to before Build lost his powers…"

"Then maybe we can help Kiryu-san defeat Another Build!" Madoka realized, Sougo nodding in agreement.

"Well, what are we waiting for, let's go get the…"

"_Time Mazine!_" Suddenly, the Time Mazine pulled up on the curb outside of the alleyway the trio was in, landing and opening its hatch for them.

"…Well ok then." Sayaka shrugged, the trio climbing aboard.

"Eh? Woz-san isn't here." Madoka said as she noticed the cockpit was sans one pilot.

"Maybe it's one of those things that shows up when you need it?" Sayaka lazily suggested.

"Whatever the case, we gotta get moving." Sougo said as he stood at the controls. Much like with the Ziku-Driver, operating the Time Mazine somehow came naturally to him. He pulled the wall-mounted controls near him, which made the holographic screen appear before him, displaying the current year. "Space-Time transport system activate!" He said as he scrolled the date selector one year down to 2017 A.D. and pulled on the controls, launching the Time Mazine.

He took a moment to stabilize the vehicle while in the air, and once Sougo felt he got the hang of it, he flew into a portal that appeared in the sky and entered the timestream.

* * *

\- _2017 A.D._ -

"Agk!" A Magical Girl choked as Another Build grabbed her by the throat and pinned her against the wall of the tunnel they were in.

The cowgirl hat on her head fell to the ground as she struggled against the creature's grip, and when it was sure she would be unable to resist, Another Build flicked open an empty bottle and absorbed the girl into it, filling it with an orange crystal shaped like a heart with a fleur-de-lis at the bottom tip.

"_Revolver…_" Another Build mumbled as it admired its handy work.

"Stop right there!" The creature looked up at the unfamiliar voice, only to see Sento and Ryuga rush down the road to confront it, the duo stopping in surprise once they got a good look at it. "What is that thing?" Sento said.

"It sure doesn't look like a Smash." Ryuga replied, equally puzzled by the strange creature.

"…Me, Build. You, Cross-Z. Best Match~!" Another Build happily cried as it rushed forward and embraced Ryuga. However, the former mixed martial artist easily escaped the creature's grasp and knocked it to the ground with a shoulder check, immediately retreating to Sento's side.

"This thing's super creepy!" Ryuga said as it shivered in disgust.

"Somehow, I feel oddly jealous." Sento admitted, earning a confused glance from Ryuga.

Sento then equipped the Build Driver, taking out two Fullbottles, a red one and a blue one, and shaking them before flipping their caps open. Similarly, Ryuga equipped his own Build Driver and shook a blue Fullbottle before sliding it into a second device that announced "_Wake Up!_" upon insertion.

"_Rabbit! Tank! Best Match!_" The Build Driver announced as Sento plugged in his two Fullbottles.

"_Cross-Z Dragon!_" The Driver announced as Ryuga inserted the auxiliary device.

The duo then began turning the crank on the side of the Driver, summoning forth a series of pneumatic tubes that pumped out the essence of the Fullbottles and transformed them into the half bodies of their suits.

"_Are you ready?_" The Driver announced as they finished turning the cranks.

"**Henshin!**"

"_Hagane no Moonsault! RabbitTank! Yeahhh!/Wake up burning! Get Cross-Z Dragon! Yeah!_" The respective Drivers announced as the suits formed around Sento and Ryuga, transforming them into Kamen Rider Build and Kamen Rider Cross-Z.

However, almost immediately after Build's transformation, he noticed that his suit began to flicker like TV static, but he was forced to ignore it as Cross-Z charged into battle, Build joining soon after. Another Build blocked the flurry of punches Cross-Z sent its way, only to be knocked back by a swift kick from Build. Cross-Z tried to follow up on the opening, but Another Build quickly recovered and evaded his strikes, kicking him out of its guard just in time to block a couple of punches from Build.

Cross-Z prepared to reenter the fray, when he noticed his own suit begin to glitch out, fading away completely for just a moment before flickering back into existence.

"My power's fading… what's going on here!?" Cross-Z shouted at Build, who began experiencing a similar glitch.

"I'm not sure… but for now we have to stop this thing!" Build declared as he charged back at his doppelganger.

Before Build could get too close, Another Build lifted its right leg, revealing a set of blue, tank-like rolling treads on the sole of its foot, which it smashed into the Rider's chest in a powerful kick. As Build was sent staggering back, Cross-Z tried to come at it from behind, but Another Build saw it coming, putting all of its weight onto its left foot, the white spring around the leg glowing as it compressed. Once the spring was released, the monster was propelled up into the air, leaping far above Cross-Z head and landing far on the other side of the road. Just as Cross-Z went to chase after it, Another Build loaded the spring again and instantly closed the distance with a step kick, the force of which knocking Cross-Z back, tumbling onto the ground.

"Banjou!" Build said, rushing to his side.

"It really is like fighting Build!" Cross-Z said as he got back onto his feet.

With the lull in combat, Another Built took the chance to bring out the two Fullbottles containing the red fleur-de-lis and the orange heart, flicked open their caps, and swallowed them whole.

"_Mirror! Revolver! Best Match!_" It announced as it turned the crank, turning the bottles on its twisted version of the Build Driver red and orange.

With a flick of its wrist, Another Build summoned a multitude of fractured mirrors around Build and Cross-Z, each one glowing with a faint red aura. It then materialized a revolver pistol in each hand and began firing, the duo easily able to evade the initial shots. However, what they failed to realize was that Another Build wasn't aiming for them at all, rather the glowing orange bullets ricocheted off of the fractured mirrors, turning one shot into four, two shots into eight, and by the time all twelve shots were fired Build and Cross-Z found themselves bombarded with a self contained hail of bullets that sent them tumbling to the ground in pain.

With the attack successful, the mirrors and pistols faded away, Another Build letting out a low, satisfied growl as it leapt into the air and prepared to come down on the helpless Riders with a drop kick from its metallic blue foot. However, it was knocked out of the air by the sudden arrival of the Time Mazine from out of a timestream portal. The vehicle then pulled back down the road and landed, the hatch opening and allowing Sougo, Madoka, and Sayaka to disembark.

"Kiryu-san!" Sougo cried as he attempted to rush to meet Build and Cross-Z.

"Huh? Hey, you're… the guy from the other day!" Build recalled as he and Cross-Z rose to their feet.

"Oh, the couple from the futu~r…!" Cross-Z's voice trailed off as he and Build's running forms glitched with static and became frozen in time, much to the others' shock.

"Zi-O, would you mind not interfering?" An oddly dressed young boy said as he suddenly appeared before them.

"What?" Sougo said, still taken aback by the frozen Riders.

"We're just trying to give rise to a new king." The boy asserted.

"A new king?" Madoka said quizzically.

"Then… you must be one of those Time Jacker guys!" Sayaka deduced.

"That's right!" The boy confirmed, his stoic expression immediately brightening up. "My name is Heure!" He introduced himself and then drew the group's attention to Another Build, the creature frozen in its attempt to stand back up from the patch of grass it was thrown into. "And that over there is the one I've chosen to become king in Zi-O's place."

"Wait, seriously? You want to make _that_ thing into a king?" Sayaka said incredulously, almost finding the idea humorous.

"Why not? It's either that or a completely unremarkable side character." Heure playfully replied, Sougo gasping at the blatant, and surprisingly personal insult. "You don't even _want_ to become king, right Zi-O? So why not just butt out and let _my_ candidate take the throne? You can go back to living your ordinary life, where nobody expects anything from you, all while knowing that the future is good hands with us."

"…You're right." Sougo said, much to Madoka and Sayaka's shock. "I _don't_ know if I can become a good king or not, and… maybe you _could_ rule the world better than I could."

"Nakazawa-kun?" Madoka said with concern.

"Hey, you're not actually going to…" Sayaka began to accuse.

"_But_… if I step away now, that thing is going to keep on hurting people, isn't it?" Sougo said, Heure's face becoming stoic again. "You created Another Build in order to replace me, right? Then in a way, it's _my_ fault that innocent people are being attacked. So, even if I can't truly become a king, I'm not just going to sit by and let people get hurt because of me!" He declared, much to his companions' relief.

"…I see, now _that's _the kind of self-righteousness I'd expect from Zi-O." Heure said bitterly as he approached Sougo. "Show it to me then, the kind of future you can create."

And with that said, Heure took his leave, fading from existence as he walked down the street and time resuming normally once he was gone.

"…~ure! Huh? Where there three of you last time? Two timing?" Cross-Z said as he and Build approached.

"No time to explain, right now, we need to defeat that thing!" Sougo asserted as he stepped forward, Another Build rising from the grass and growling at him challengingly.

"_Ziku-Driver!_" The belt announced its name as Sougo equipped it. He then brought out the Zi-O Ridewatch, turned the dial, and pressed the button.

"_Zi-O!_" The small device said before Sougo slid it onto the right hand slot of the Driver. The clock face materialized behind him as he hit the button to release the Driver, his arms swinging around to mimic the counterclockwise motion of the clock.

"Henshin!" He cried before spinning the Ziku-Driver back into place.

"_Rider Time! Kamen Rider Zi-O!_" The belt sang as Sougo's power suit materialized around him, the pink Katakana letters flying forward before imbedding themselves into Zi-O's visor.

Saving the questions for later, Build and Cross-Z stood at Zi-O's side in a dramatic hero shot, only to scatter when Another Build charged angrily at the trio of Riders. The creature ducked under a punch from Ryuga and threw one of its own at Zi-O, who blocked it and countered with a jab that made it stagger back into a kick from Build. Another Build recovered quickly enough to block a kick from Zi-O, as well as a second punch from Cross-Z, and pretty soon it found itself surrounded by the three Kamen Riders, each taking turns trying to pummel it into submission. It was only a matter of time before Another Build was overwhelmed, the creature's reaction speed already taking a noticeable drop, however, just as it was on the verge of defeat, Build's suit faded away into static, leaving him completely defenseless.

Noticing the opening, Another Build went straight for Sento, but Zi-O intercepted it with a tackle, pulling the creature further down the road. Cross-Z made to follow, only for his own suit to fade away as well. Another Build managed to wretch itself free from Zi-O's grip, only for the Rider to knock it to the ground with a swift kick to the chest.

"Kiryu-san! Banjou-san!" Zi-O said as he turned his attention to the fading Riders.

"…It looks like our powers are vanishing." Sento lamented solemnly as the Build and Cross-Z suits glitched back into existence for a final moment, before fading away in a mist of golden particles.

"Guess the rest is up to you now." Ryuga said, offering Zi-O a determined gaze and a pumped fist.

"Build… is gone." Zi-O realized in utter disbelief.

"Look out!" Madoka cried, giving Zi-O just enough warning to dodge two shots from Another Build's twin revolvers.

Another Build then turned the crank on its belt, summoning a multitude of fractured mirrors all around Zi-O and began firing into it. Despite his best efforts, Zi-O was bombarded with the ricocheting bullets, sparks flying off his armor with each impact until he tumbled to the ground in agony.

"**Nakazawa**-kun!" Madoka and Sayaka exclaimed in unison, unable to do anything but watch as Another Build approached their prone comrade menacingly.

_ZAP_

However, just as Another Build was about to turn the crank again for the killing blow, it was hit with a blast of red, electrical energy, leaving behind a glowing projection of a red circle with a line bisecting it diagonally. The doppelganger fell to the ground, convulsing as red sparks arced off its body, Zi-O looking up in confusion at the sudden rescue.

"Are you unhurt, my Lord?" Zi-O looked up towards the familiar voice, gasping at the sight of Woz, holding out his futuristic pistol that still sparked with red energy from the shot he had taken.

"Woz!? What are you doing here? Who's watching the shop!?" Sougo interrogated as he rose to his feet.

"More importantly, how did you even get here?" Sayaka asked. "We're in 2017, how did you come here without the Time Mazine?"

"There is no need to concern yourselves with such trivialities." Woz dismissed, much to Sayaka's annoyance.

"So, am I safe in assuming that that's the "guy from fifty years in the future" you mentioned before?" Sento asked Madoka as he and Ryuga joined them on the sidelines.

"Uh… y-yeah." Madoka awkwardly replied, deciding to leave out the unfortunate details of Sento and Ryuga's first, brief encounter with Woz.

"I'm afraid the paralysis I have applied to Another Build will not last for very much longer, my Lord. I suggest you make haste." Woz advised.

"Right, but… didn't you say that Another Build could only be defeated with the power of Build?" Zi-O regretfully reminded.

"Indeed, and it is the power of Build that you now possess." Woz said, much to the group's confusion.

"Huh? What do you…?" Zi-O looked down in thought, unsure of what the cryptic prophet could possibly be implying. That is until he caught sight of the Zi-O Ridewatch resting in the right hand slot of the Ziku-Driver. That's right, the belt did in fact have two slots, and if the Zi-O Ridewatch held the power of Zi-O, then…

"Wait…" Zi-O said as he looked down and removed the Ridewatch he received from Sento in 2018 from the Ridewatch Holder. "Do you mean this?"

"Correct." Zi-O jumped as Woz suddenly appeared next to him. "By using that watch, you shall inherit Build's power." The prophet said as he took out the Oma Advent Calendar. "However, according to this book, victory will come with a fair deal of responsibility… are you certain you wish to undertake that, my Lord?"

The question hung in the air as Zi-O silently pondered it. He wasn't quite sure what Woz meant when he said responsibility, but it seemed that he was about to pass the point of no return. Should he go through with this, should he use the Ridewatch and defeat Another Build, he would no longer be able to return to his ordinary life, there would be no turning back from the path that he had started walking just a few fateful hours ago. Zi-O was not ignorant to the weight of the decision, and yet, as he looked up from the watch in his hand and met the gaze of the now powerless Kiryu Sento, the answer was obvious. He turned the dial on the Build Ridewatch, revealing a depiction of Kamen Rider Build's asymmetrical red and blue helmet, and presented it to Woz.

"If that's what it takes!" He declared before hitting the button.

"_Build!_" The watch announced, projecting the image of Build's face upon activation. A satisfied smile crossed Woz's features, the prophet taking a step back to allow his master room to work. Zi-O slid the Build Ridewatch into the left hand slot of the Ziku-Driver, the spinning clocks on the display flashing red and blue as he pressed the top button to unlock it. He let the standby music play for a moment, before reaching down and spinning the Driver.

"_Rider Time! Kamen Rider Zi-O!_" The Driver sang as it was locked back into place.

The inserted Build Ridewatch then projected a set of pink letters that read "_Build_" in Katakana (ビルド). The letters flew forward, growing to a more appropriate size, before a set of armor materialized within a transparent projection of a Fullbottle before Zi-O.

The armor pieces were mostly silver in color, matching the coloring of Zi-O's watchstrap, which on the armor extended down from a chest plate that resembled the red and blue chest piece of Build's own suit. It's shoulder pieces were shaped like two Fullbottles, red on the right, blue on the left, inverse of the coloring of the upper leg pieces, blue on the right, red on the left, just as it was on Build himself. Finally, the helmet's faceplate was modeled after Build's as well, retaining the clock hand antenna, only stylized to resemble the rabbit ear and tank barrel that made up Build's antenna. Floating off to the side of the armor was a strange yellow, drill-like attachment, build's gear-like insignia emblazoned in black on the wrist mount; the Drill Crusher Crusher.

Zi-O examined the armor curiously, especially when the segmented hand traced the blue right antenna before striking a flamboyant pose. Zi-O cautiously reached for the armor, and as soon as he touched it, the pieces came apart and flew around him, falling into place one by one on his suit.

"_Armor Time! …Best Match! Build!_" The Ziku-Driver sang as the armor equipped itself, the Katakana letters imbedding themselves into the helmet to form the new visor.

The onlookers all stared in amazement at Zi-O's transformation, all accept for Sento, who gave an excited smirk as he joined Zi-O at his side.

"Rejoice! He is the heir to the powers of all Riders! Traversing time and space, he is the Ruler of Time that shall reign over past and future!" During Woz's speech, Sento whispered into Zi-O's ear, the Rider giving him the "ok" to confirm that he understood the instructions. "His name is Kamen Rider Zi-O BuildArmor! On this day, he has obtained the power of a Legend Rider for the first time!"

"The laws of victory have been set!" Sento said, tracing an antenna that wasn't truly there.

"Uh, SET!" Zi-O clumsily mimicked the gesture, over compensating for the botched catch phrase by flicking his hand repeatedly.

However, Sento quickly stopped him, and with a quick apologetic nod Zi-O brandished his wrist mounted drill weapon and rushed back into the fray, the Legend Rider looking on with pride.

Just as Another Build had broken free of its paralysis and stood back up, Zi-O stabbed it with his spinning drill weapon, the creature letting out a painful shriek as sparks flew off its impaled body and was sent tumbling back into the tunnel and onto the ground. Zi-O marveled for a moment at how effective the weapon was against the Another Rider, before going back in to stab at it while it was on the ground. Another Build managed to roll out of the way from the drill, the weapon scraping against the ground where it once was, but just as it got back on its feet Zi-O slashed at its face, sending it stumbling back in pain.

Zi-O kept the pressure up, swinging the drill at Another Build as the creature frantically blocked and evaded it. The increased reach the weapon gave the Rider made it difficult to retaliate, but eventually Another Build did manage to knock the weapon arm to the side and land a tank tread powered front kick to Zi-O's chest, leaping back out of range with its spring loaded left leg.

"Where do you think you're going?" Zi-O taunted as he shifted his weight onto his own left leg, a glowing red energy spring compressing around it.

Once the tension was released, Zi-O was propelled forward, closing the distance between him and Another Build before the latter even hit the ground. The creature seemed to gasp in surprise before Zi-O knocked it to the ground with a swing of the Drill Crusher Crusher. However, before Zi-O could capitalize on the opening, Another Build conjured a revolver and emptied the clip at Zi-O, forcing him back and giving the creature the chance to get back to its feet.

Another Build turned the crank on its belt, summoning the mirrors again in preparation for its suppressing fire, but Zi-O wouldn't have it.

"Oh no you don't, not this time!" Zi-O declared as he spun the drill and plunged it into the ground.

He scraped the weapon around him in a full circle, sending the destroyed chunks of asphalt into the air around him as Another Build began open firing. Not only did the debris protect him from the ricocheting bullets, but also they prematurely halted their momentum, leaving Zi-O completely unharmed by the end of it. Another Build dropped its dual pistols, backing up nervously as its most effective attack had failed.

"Now, let's give that finishing move a shot!" Zi-O decided before turning back to Sento on the sidelines. "I have to crank it, right?" He asked before turning back and mimicking the motion of Build turning the crank on the Build Driver.

As he did, a series of white, scientific equations began flying by overhead; the Pythagorean theorem, Einstein's Mass-energy equivalence, the force equation, and kinetic and potential energy. However, eventually the equations devolved into phrases such as "some difficult numbers", "I usually put this one on my formula sheet", "Damn it, I can never remember the quadratic equation", and so on.

"…That doesn't seem right." Ryuga said, even he recognizing the problem.

"This is the worst." Sento lamented with a sigh.

"_Finish Time! Build!_" The Driver announced as Zi-O pressed the button on the Zi-O and Build Ridewatches respectively. He then unlocked the belt, the display flashing red and blue before he spun the Driver back around.

"_Vortex Time Break!_" The Driver said as Zi-O leaped into the air.

A white dotted line appeared beneath him, Zi-O landing on it and riding it down towards Another Build. The Drill Crusher Crusher spun with red and blue energy as Zi-O stabbed the Another Rider with it, the force sending the creature flying into the air. As it flailed around helplessly, a second dotted line appeared under it, Zi-O hopping onto it and with one last battle cry landed the killing blow.

In the resulting explosion, Nagisa returned to her human form, and with the defeat of Another Build, the three bottles that it had created all broke open and released their essence, which coalesced back into the captured Magical Girls. As all four girls fell to the ground unconscious, Zi-O and the others quickly rushed to their aid, and in their haste none of them noticed the Anotherwatch as it fell to Nagisa's side. The small device began short-circuiting, unable to handle the stress of being defeated by its equal and opposite power, and inevitably it shattered, releasing a small white ball of light. The small light then flew up and merged with Nagisa through her chest, the small girl only stirring a bit in her sleep Kiryu Sento took her in his arms.

* * *

\- _2018 A.D. _-

"_Time Burst!_" The Ziku-Driver announced as Geiz spun it in the air.

His resulting Rider Kick collided with Another Build's punch and defeated it in a massive explosion, Geiz himself landing on the ground in a kneeling position as he breathed heavily in exhaustion. Unfortunately, he would be given no time to rest, as up from the nearby stairs came a fully rejuvenated Another Build, not even thirty seconds after its latest defeat.

"Again!?" Mami exclaimed in frustration from the sidelines.

"It just won't stay down." Homura said, now realizing just how much danger the two of them had been when fighting the very same creature.

With a determined grunt, Geiz forced himself passed his fatigue and back up to his feet. The two opponents charged at each other, both determined for this to be their final clash, but just as Geiz threw one last desperate punch, his fist found no purchase as Another Build suddenly vanished in a flash of static.

"Huh…?" Geiz gasped quizzically as he stumbled forward from the whiffed punch.

"What happened? Where did it go?" Mami said as she looked around in confusion for the missing Another Rider.

"…The girl." Homura said, bringing Mami's attention to her suddenly vacant lap.

"Eh? She's gone too?"

"…No, look, over there!" Homura said, bringing everyone's attention to the road below the bridge. Walking side by side, down the vacant road, were the two Magical Girls Another Build had attacked, chatting and giggling like two completely normal middle school girls without a care in the world.

"The hell is going on here?" Geiz voiced everyone's confusion.

"As expected of my Lord, he was able to make quick work of the pretender to the throne." The group's attention was drawn to the new voice, which came from none other than Woz. The man sat on the other side of the bridge, his feet lazily dangling over the edge as he read from the Oma Advent Calendar.

"Woz!" Geiz spat out the prophet's name.

"You are…" Mami said, recognizing the robed figure.

"The follower of Oma Zi-O from the future." Homura completed the accusation.

"Indeed I am, though I hesitate to ask what unbecoming things young Geiz-kun has told you of myself or my Lord." Woz replied without even looking up from his book.

"What do you want!?" Geiz angrily demanded. "If you came here just to spout out cryptic nonsense then get lost!"

"How rude, though I suppose that straightforwardness is one of your few redeeming qualities." Woz said, earning a frustrated growl from the Rider. "Regardless, I have merely come to tell you that Another Build will no longer be an issue… thanks to Zi-O." It was then that the prophet finally looked up from his book and back at the three youths over his shoulder, his mouth pulled up in a cocky smirk.

"…No, you don't mean…!" Geiz said, Woz's smirk widening at the boy's obvious dread.

"According to this book, Kamen Rider Zi-O travels back in time to the year 2017, the era in which Another Build was created." Woz read from the book as he stood up and paced across the bridge. "It is there that he shall inherit the power of Build, along with his place in history, and eliminate the first major obstacle towards his ascension." He slammed the book shut and looked toward the stunned teens. "So it has been written, and so it has come to pass. It's a shame none of you were there to bear witness; it was _glorious_."

"Grr… WOZ!" Geiz shouted, suddenly charging forward and throwing a punch at the defenseless man.

However, the smug looking prophet simply disappeared in a swirl of grey fabric, Geiz's punch finding nothing but air, and the enraged Rider looked around for the intended target of his aggression.

"Well then, my business here is finished, and I shall take my leave as requested." Woz said, appearing on the road below the bridge, safely out of range of Geiz's fury. "But first, a fair warning to you two Magical Girls there." Mami and Homura flinched as they were suddenly addressed. "I would strongly recommend against throwing your lot in with this one, his ambitions are misguided, and his mission is futile. We wouldn't want you to end up on the wrong side of history, now would we?" Despite his polite smile, the underlying threat in his words was clear as day, and Mami couldn't help but swallow a knot that had formed her throat.

With the declaration made, a clock tower in the distance chimed on the hour. The sound of the ringing bells traveled all to way to them and grabbed their attention for just a moment, but when they turned back, Woz was nowhere to be seen.

"…Damn it!" Geiz cursed before suddenly activating his Ride Striker.

"Hey, where are you going?" Mami asked.

"I need to check something!" Was all the explanation Geiz gave as he made to mount the motorbike.

The two Magical Girls traded a concerned and confused look with each other, their curiosity getting the best of them as they wordlessly agreed to follow the Rider. They both hopped on the seat behind Geiz, the Rider too frantic to protest as he revved the engine to life and drove down the bridge, the speeding tires leaving behind black tread marks as they sped onto the main road.

* * *

\- _2017 A.D. _-

"Well, I guess that's it, case closed, huh?" Sayaka said as she, Sougo, and Madoka watched Sento and Ryuga deliver one of Another Build's freed victims, the little girl with long platinum hair, to a local police station.

As visitors from the future, it was agreed that it wouldn't be such a good idea for the three of them to involve themselves with local law enforcement, so they just waited outside while the adults tended to the disoriented child. They watched contently as the little girl was introduced to a female police officer, the child hesitantly taking her hand before giving an appreciative bow to Sento and Ryuga. As the girl was led away, she spotted the three of them through the window and waved to them. The trio couldn't help but smile as they waved back, satisfied with their good deed.

"I'm just glad we managed to pull it off, thank goodness we had that Ridewatch." Sougo said, clutching that very device within his pocket.

"Yeah, but… how did Kiryu-san and Banjou-san have them in the first place?" Madoka inquired.

"Huh? What do you mean, Madoka?" Sayaka asked.

"Well, Kiryu-san said that the Ridewatches couldn't possibly be made using modern technology, so I'm just wondering how they managed to get them." Madoka explained.

"Hmm… that _is_ a little funky." Sayaka admitted, stroking her chin thoughtfully for an answer.

"Maybe…" Sougo said, an idea forming as he retrieved two Blank Ridewatches from his person. It was at that moment that Sento and Ryuga came out from the police station, Sougo deciding to approach them. "Hey, um, do you think you could keep these for me, Kiryu-san, Banjou-san?" He requested, offering them the watches.

"Kiryu? My name is Katsuragi Takumi." Sento said with a confused look on his face.

"What?"

It was then that Sento's body began to glitch with static, and just like before, or perhaps later, at Caffé Nascita, Kiriyu Sento transformed into Katsuragi Takumi right before the time travelers' eyes.

"Oh! What is this device?" Takumi said as he snatched both Ridewatches out of Sougo's hands. "I have never seen anything so uniquely constructed… how utterly _fascinating_!" He cooed to himself as he took off down the street in excitement, completely ignoring his new time traveling acquaintances.

"Hey, wait up Takumi!" Ryuga called after him, his hair becoming similarly unbleached as he caught up to his friend.

"What the…" Sougo said in bewilderment.

"Hey, what happened?" Madoka asked in concern. "You defeated Another Build, so shouldn't everything be back to normal now? Nakazawa-kun?" The girl pleaded for an answer, which unfortunately Sougo was unable to give.

"Ah! Guys, look, the wall!" Sayaka drew Sougo and Madoka's attention to the giant stone wall in the distance, the trio watching in absolute astonishment as it too vanished in a flash of static, the layout of the buildings around where it once stood completely changing as a result.

"No way, the wall disappeared too!?" Sougo exclaimed.

"That's… good, right?" Sayaka said, Sougo and Madoka turning to her in confusion. "I mean, there's not _supposed_ to be a giant, magic wall in the middle of Japan in 2017, so the fact that it's gone means the timeline is returning back to normal, right? Maybe Build and Cross-Z are the same."

"You mean, Kamen Rider Build and Kamen Rider Cross-Z aren't _supposed_ to exist in the timeline?" Sougo reiterated, Sayaka giving an agreeing nod, looking proud at her deduction.

"But, that's…" Madoka looked down, utterly disheartened by the idea.

Sougo could sympathize, if it weren't for Build and Cross-Z, who knows what would have happened to them when they had gotten stranded in 2017. They owed them their lives, and the thought of such good, heroic people being erased from history was incredibly saddening.

"…It's ok, Kaname-san." Sougo said, Madoka looking back up at him in confusion. "Don't you remember; when we went to see them in 2018, even if it was just for a little bit, they were able to remember us, and their own history." Sougo reminded her, the girl perking up a bit. "So who knows, maybe someday, Kiryu Sento can become Kamen Rider Build again, and Banjou Ryuga will join him as Kamen Rider Cross-Z… at least, that's what I think."

He offered his concerned classmate a comforting smile, Sayaka placing a gentle hand on her shoulder and doing the same. She looked between the two of them, and eventually gave a smile of her own.

"Yeah… I really hope so." Madoka replied, Sougo nodding in agreement.

"Come on, let's go home." Sougo said, and as if sensing his will the Time Mazine appeared and allowed them to climb aboard.

Madoka paused at the ramp, looking back solemnly at Takumi and Ryuga, the duo wrapped up in casual conversation and blissfully unaware of the fate that had befallen them. With a heavy heart, Madoka gave them a deep appreciative bow.

"Thank you very much." She said under her breath before climbing onto the Time Mazine, the trio leaving Kamen Rider Build, and the year 2017, behind.

* * *

\- _2018 A.D._ -

"THANK YOU! PLEASE COME AGAIN! OOOWWW!" A man shouted into a microphone in order to be heard over his rowdy costumers.

Mami felt her head throb as she, Homura, and Geiz exited Café Nascita. The fan café was apparently having some sort of commemorative event, in celebration of some up and coming rock band stopping nearby on their first big tour. The establishment was filled with loud, obnoxious fans, and the band's music was being blared on speakers all over the café; it was perhaps the worst possible place to stop and have a relaxing cup of tea she had ever encountered.

"So, why did you feel it was so urgent to come to this place?" Mami inquired as she nursed her growing headache.

"…According to history, this is supposed to be Kamen Rider Build's base of operations." Geiz explained as he walked out of the alleyway and down the dimly lit street. "It's a rather unpopular café, so it worked perfectly as a secret base for his activities as a Kamen Rider."

"Kamen Rider Build… so there are other Kamen Riders besides you and Zi-O?" Homura asked, prompting Geiz to stop and bring out his Data Tablet.

"Throughout the Heisei Era, there have been those who fought against many threats to humanity, all for the sake of peace and justice. These heroes are known as Kamen Riders." He said, pulling up the familiar image of Zi-O's memorial statue. He adjusted the image to focus in on the statue directly to Sougo's left, which resembled a more pristine version of Another Build.

"This is Kamen Rider Build, the Kamen Rider of 2017." Geiz said as he presented the tablet to Mami and Homura. "In truth, the power that Oma Zi-O wields is not rightfully his own. On his path of conquest, he traveled through time and stole the powers of nineteen legendary Kamen Riders, erasing them from history in the process." Mami and Homura gasped in shock, the two of them realizing what Geiz was getting at. "Even though Another Build was defeated, Kamen Rider Build is still missing from history, and if Woz is to be believed, Zi-O has obtained the Build Ridewatch as well."

"So… history is flowing towards the rise of Oma Zi-O, the Demon King." Mami regretfully realized

"That's right. If you understand then don't get in my way anymore… I must defeat Zi-O before he steals any more Rider histories." Geiz said with fierce determination, turning his back on the girls and prepared to go their separate ways.

"…Alright, so then what's our next move?"

"Our?" Geiz said quizzically, turning around to see Mami with an equally determined look on her face.

"You're concern for our well being is appreciated, but the only reason you weren't able to complete your mission was because of us... it's our fault that Zi-O has taken his first steps towards becoming the most vile, most feared Demon King of all time." Mami paused, her hands clenching into fists as she rode out her frustration and guilt. "I'm not sure how much help we can be to you, but as the guardian of this city, and as a Magical Girl sworn to protect the innocent, I can't just sit by and allow that horrible future to come to pass!" Mami proclaimed, Geiz's stoic face softening just the smallest bit.

"That's right." Geiz and Mami turned their attention to Homura as she stepped forward. "This is a problem that effects not only us, but the entire world as we know it. I can't help but feel that I have a responsibility to see it dealt with."

"Akemi-san…" Mami beamed at the first trustworthy Magical Girl she had met in ages.

Geiz looked between the two of them, letting out a soft sigh before looking up towards the blackened night sky in contemplation.

"…With Zi-O obtaining the power of Build, he has gained a significant strength advantage over me." Geiz admitted. "If I'm going to change history, and bring about a brighter future… I suppose I'll need every advantage I can get." He conceded, Mami smiling contently at the future guardian's reply.

"My name is Tomoe Mami, and this is Akemi Homura." Mami introduced.

"…Myokoin Geiz. Despite getting off on the wrong foot, I look forward to working with you." Geiz replied, offering Mami a handshake.

"Likewise." The veteran Magical Girl gladly accepted.

* * *

**A/N: And there you go, the battle lines have been drawn and all out war is upon us! One thing I wanted to do differently for this story was have Geiz be a more traditional antagonistic Secondary Rider, rather than just a grumpy teammate like he is in the show. I also employed some dramatic irony in order to get Mami and Homura to side with Geiz in his crusade against Zi-O, how that will effect their character dynamic with the rest of the cast will be explored in the next arc, which of course, is the Ex-Aid Tribute Arc! **

**Also, as you've probably guessed by now, the Another Riders are going to be made from Magical Girls in this story, so I'm going to be pulling from the spin offs, mostly Magia Record, to fill out the roster, feel free to guess who's gonna be Another Ex-Aid. Just like last time the next update to this story will be another Omake, and after that there will be a brief hiatus while I work on updating other stories, just so you guys know. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see you all next time, bye!**


	4. Omake 2: Calendar Theory

**A/N: And here's that Omake I promised, enjoy!**

* * *

**Omake 2: Calendar Theory**

SETTING: Caffé Nascita, Night

(In a completely dark room, a single spotlight shines down on Tomoe Mami as she begins to read from a script.)

MAMI: After forming an alliance with the time traveling freedom fighter Myokoin Geiz, Tomoe Mami and Akemi Homura decide to return to Caffé Nascita after their festivities have concluded, in order to make sure that history has truly been altered.

(A second spotlight shines down on Nakazawa Sougo, brushing his teeth at a sink placed in the far corner of the room while the Build Ridewatch sat precariously at the edge of the sink.)

MAMI: However, unbeknownst to them, a miraculous act of stupidity was unfolding elsewhere.

(As Sougo spat out the remaining toothpaste and reached for the cup to rinse with, his arm knocks the Build Ridewatch into the running water of the sink.)

SOUGO: Wahhh! The Build Ridewaaaaattcccchh!

(Sougo falls to his knees as his spotlight fades)

MAMI: With the Build Ridewatch's destruction, the three comrades walk into Caffé Nascita to find not Katsuragi Takumi, but…

(A new spotlight shines on Kiryu Sento, sitting at the bar of Caffé Nascita.)

SENTO: Takumi? My name is Kiryu Sento.

(Another spotlight shines on Banjou Ryuga, sitting at one of the other tables.)

RYUGA: Does it really matter? You're a physicist either way."

SENTO: A _genius _physicist.

(A spotlight shines on Myokoin Geiz.)

GEIZ: Hey, what's going on here? Wasn't history supposed to be altered?

(A spotlight shines on Akemi Homura.)

HOMURA: Isn't this a good thing? Perhaps this means that history isn't flowing towards Oma Zi-O after all.

MAMI: By the way, there is something that I've been wondering about, and perhaps a genius physicist like Kiryu-san could explain it to me. According to Akemi-san, the first two chapters of this story take place on May 25, 2018, and yet the first two episodes of Kamen Rider Zi-O take place between September 8 and September 9 of 2018. Why is there such a big difference in the timeline of events between this story and the source material?

SENTO: I'm afraid such a simple question… does not have such a simple answer.

(Sento snaps his fingers, the lights of Café Nascita flashing on)

SENTO: You see, since this story is a crossover between two series that place a huge emphases on the passage of time, Author-san knew that he wouldn't be able to reconcile the two timelines without drastically changing one or both. First off, he considered the dating of the Kamen Rider Series, which is generally assumed to correspond at least roughly to its real-world broadcasting schedule. For example, the first episode of Kamen Rider Build aired on September 3, 2017, and Kiriyu Sento's rent notice seen in that episode is indeed dated September 3.

RYUGA: Wait, why did you refer to yourself in the third person just now?

SENTO: This general rule means that the adventure depicted in any given season lasts for about a year. In the end, Author-san decided to keep this dating scheme for the timeline of events of the Legend Riders, which occur prior to the start of the story.

MAMI: I see. So then why did he decide to change the starting date of the story?

GEIZ: In fact, doesn't changing the starting point to be so much earlier make it more difficult for the author? With the previously stated dating scheme, wouldn't May 25, 2018 still be right in the middle of Build's story?

SENTO: Indeed it is. It would put the first chapter between Episodes 36 and 37 of Kamen Rider Build, right before Evolto gains his Evol Trigger power up.

MAMI: What!? But that's such a climactic moment in the series! Why would Author-san decide to start the story there of all places?

SENTO: That would be… because of _her_.

(Sento points accusingly at Homura.)

HOMURA: Me?

GEIZ: Oh, right, the author has to consider the Madoka Magica timeline as well.

SENTO: That's right. In Episode 10 of Puella Magi Madoka Magica, it was revealed via a calendar that Akemi Homura transfers to Mitakihara Middle School on Friday the 25th in a month with 31 days in it. However, the exact month and year of that particular date is never expressly stated.

GEIZ: I see. I can understand how that would be frustrating for the author.

MAMI: Hey, Akemi-san, can you tell us on exactly what date you transfer to our school in the show?

(Homura scoffs and flips her hair confidently.)

HOMURA: Of course I can, how long do you think I've repeated the same exact month over and over again? The exact date that I transfer in is…

(Homura pauses, flipping through her script looking for her line and becoming more and more frantic as she goes.)

MAMI: Akemi-san… could it be…

GEIZ/MAMI/RYUGA: You don't know either!?

(Homura hides her face behind her script, shaking nervously. When she pulls the script away, she is wearing a pair of glasses and has her hair done in braids.)

MOEMURA: I-I-I'M SO SORRY! The canon date was never revealed in any Puella Magi Madoka Magica media, so I don't know either…

RYUGA: Wait, who the hell are you!? What happened to that cool beauty that was here a second ago?

MAMI: Akemi-san, you're breaking character.

MOEMURA: Wah! U-Um, I'm sorry, uh…

(Homura covers her face with the script. When she pulls it away, her glasses are gone and her braids are undone.)

HOMURA: Anyway, the cannon date is a complete mystery.

SENTO: Well, not a _complete_ mystery. We know that Akemi Homura transfers into Kaname Madoka's class on Friday the 25th of a certain month, and her time loops are generally accepted to last for about a month. With these parameters in mind, two theories have been proposed for the timeline of events: either Akemi Homura transferred in on March 25th of the year the anime aired in, 2011, or she transferred in on May 25th of an unknown year later than 2011. Even before writing this story, Author-san looked into both theories while working on "The Spider Effect", and eventually decided that the May 25th theory had more convincing evidence, such as Homura seeming to transfer in at least a month into the school semester, the climate portrayed during the the series run, and Walpurgisnacht's appearance in the month of June, which is monsoon season in Japan. For a more detailed explanation of both theories, please visit this link: wiki. puella-magi Timeline

RYUGA: Why even bother providing a link if you're gonna have to break it up like that?

SENTO: However, there is one piece of evidence that made Author-san absolutely certain that he had to set the first chapter of this story on May 25, 2018.

HOMURA: And what would that be?

SENTO: See for yourself.

(Sento presents a page from his script to the camera, which displays the page for the month of May from a calendar of the year 2018, with the date of May 25th marked with a star and labeled "going to school" just as it was on the calendar in the anime.)

RYUGA: Ah! May 25th falls on a Friday in 2018!

MAMI: Just like the theory says!

SENTO: Exactly! Author-san just couldn't pass up such a convenient coincidence, so that's why he decided to move the starting date from September 8 to May 25. Also, because the events of Kamen Rider Build were going to be erased from history anyway, he didn't really have to worry about the timelines overlapping.

MAMI: Wow, that _is_ rather convenient.

RYUGA: Teacher, I have a question!

SENTO: Yes, Banjo?

RYUGA: Back in the first chapter, Walpurgisnacht was built up to be the heroes' big end game challenge, but if a Rider season lasts for a whole year, and Walpurgisnacht shows up only a month after Homura transfers, wouldn't that mean that the big climax would happen just a few chapters in?

SENTO: I'm surprised you were able to do that much math in your head.

RYUGA: HEY!

SENTO: However, the real time dating scheme of the Kamen Rider Series is really only for simplicities sake, as well as to account for the changing of the seasons during filming, so Author-san need not abide by it for this story. For various reasons, he intends for Walpurgisnacht to be the midpoint of the story, so the first half of the tribute arcs will all pretty much occur within the month or so of Homura's time loop.

MAMI: Oh my! I suppose we have a pretty hectic month ahead of us then.

HOMURA: If it's for Madoka's sake, I am willing to endure any hardship.

GEIZ: That's right, for the sake of a brighter future, we have no choice to but to weather this coming storm. With that said; Build, Cross-Z, please lend us your strength!

(When the trio looks back towards the Legend Riders, Kiryu Sento has suddenly changed back to Katsuragi Takumi.)

TAKUMI: Hm? Build? What is that?

GEIZ/HOMURA/MAMI: …WHHAAAATT~!?

(The lights in Caffé Nascita suddenly turn off, and a spotlight shines on Nakazawa Sougo in the corner, taking the Build Ridewatch out of a bowl of rice.)

SOUGO: Phew! That was a close one. Good thing the rice bowl trick works on Ridewatches too.

(The spotlight fades and the lights come back on in Caffé Nascita. Geiz, Mami, and Homura all let out exasperated sighs.)

MAMI: …Well, it seems we have a very hectic month ahead of us indeed.

GEIZ: I will never forgive you… OMA ZI-O!

_To Be Continued…_

* * *

**A/N: So yeah, that was how I decided how I was going to map out the timeline of this story. Hope you guys enjoyed this comedic look into my creative process, and I'll see you all next time, bye!**


	5. Doctor Gamer 2018

**A/N: Hey guys, MCN here bringing you, _finally_, the next chapter of Rider Time: Horae Magica! So... the last 24 hours have kind of been a bit of an emotional rollercoaster for me. I finished writing this chapter last night, and just as I was riding that emotional high, I learned that the English version of Magia Record will be shutting down next month. And, if that wasn't enough, I learned this morning of the tragic news that Chadwick Boseman died... so yeah, no bueno feelings all around. Man, 2020 sure is a stinker ain't it, so why don't we go back to 2018 and watch some middle schoolers with super powers duke it out with some monsters, shall we? **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kamen Rider Zi-O or Puella Magi Madoka Magica**

* * *

**Doctor Gamer 2018**

_\- 2018 A.D. -_

"Remember Madoka… straight home from school today…" Kaname Junko said, her speech slurred due to a combination of early morning grogginess and the toothbrush in her mouth.

"Alright, Mama." Madoka replied, brushing her own teeth right beside her mother in front of their large bathroom mirror. The mother and daughter then took a small swig of sink water, gargled, and spit into their individual sinks in unison.

"You know I hate to badger you about curfews and stuff, but after what happened yesterday, I don't think we should take any chances. At the very least you should steer clear of the shopping district for a while." Junko lectured her daughter as she began to apply her elaborate make-up.

"Ok." Madoka said, moving on to brushing her hair.

As it turns out, a giant red robot attacking a crowded shopping mall in broad daylight wasn't going to fly under _anyone's_ radar. It was all that news outlets all across Japan were talking about, from eyewitness reports, to speculations on the nature of the attack. Now, that on its own would have made any parent worry, but seeing as Madoka had apparently dropped her cellphone sometime during all of the chaos, then it was no wonder that by the time she got home her father was practically pulling his hair out, house phone glued to his ear, calling anybody he could think of to try and find her. After a stern lecture, Madoka managed to convince her parents that she simply misplaced her phone at the mall, and that she was invited to a classmate's house before the attack ever happened. She hated lying to her parents, but telling them the whole truth was just out of the question.

'_I doubt they'd even believe me… _I_ can barely believe it…_'

Her thoughts wandered to the adventure she had the day before. Robots and time travel, magic and monsters, Kamen Riders and Magical Girls, it was like something out of one of those Sunday morning hero shows that her little brother loved so much… ok, so maybe she liked them just a bit too. It was all so hard to wrap her head around, to think that Nakazawa Sougo, her unassuming classmate and unwitting teacher's pet, would end up being a monster slaying super hero, destined to become the future Ruler of Time, and…

_When the time comes for my Lord to take his place on the throne, it will be you, Kaname Madoka, that shall sit by his side as queen_

Madoka watched as her cheeks began to glow a light pink in her reflection, the girl shaking her head in a desperate attempt to rid her mind of Woz's proclamation. For once she was thankful that her mother wasn't a morning person; had she been in peak condition, she most certainly would have noticed.

"…Hey, Mama."

"Hm?"

"Just, hypothetically speaking, if somebody told you that you were going to marry Papa back when you only first met him, what would you have done?"

"I would have kicked the psychic bastard's teeth in." Madoka could only give a meek mutter at Junko's immediate, blunt answer. "Don't get me wrong, it's not like there was anything wrong with your father back then, but as a career woman who had dedicated her entire life to climbing the corporate ladder, being told that I was destined to give it all up and settle down, especially with some random tomato vendor I'd just met, would have been the most egregious of insults." She elaborated, her eyes narrowing into an annoyed scowl.

"R-Right… sorry." Madoka whimpered, shying away from the touchy subject. However, when she attempted to return to brushing her hair, Junko snatched the brush from her hand and stood behind her.

"Of course, then I'd owe that psychic creep one hell of an apology, because marrying your father, having this family, was without a doubt the best decision I've ever made." Junko said as she carefully, lovingly, brushed her daughter's hair.

"Mama…" Madoka said with a nostalgic smile, unable to recall the last time her mother had brushed her hair for her. Madoka knew from a young age that her family unit wasn't exactly typical, what with having a working mother and a stay-at-home father. It was pretty much unheard of amongst her classmates, and it certainly made playing house in kindergarten a challenge, but if the alternative was a distant breadwinner father and a lonely homemaker mother, then she would take _her_ family over a typical one any day.

"And… _perfect!_" Junko said as she tied Madoka's hair up with the bright red ribbons she had picked out for her the day before. "Now that future husband of yours won't be able to resist you." Junko smiled playfully as her daughter's face went bright red in almost an instant.

"E-Eh…! N-No, that's not… I wasn't… I-I was just being hypothetical!" Madoka frantically denied.

"And so was I, why wouldn't I be?" Junko said, her smile growing wider as Madoka's face grew redder.

"…I-I need to hurry, or I'm going to be late!" Madoka quickly changed the subject, bringing Junko's attention back to her own half finished makeup.

"Oh, me too!" And with that the mother and daughter rushed to get ready, Madoka's cheeks glowing a bright pink the whole time.

* * *

"I'm off!" Sougo called to his uncle from the door.

"Have a good day, and be careful!" Junichiro called back as Sougo put on his shoes and left the 9 to 5 Workshop.

The boy mounted his bicycle, having retrieved it from the mall the day before, and peddled his way to school just as he always did. However, the whole way there he was constantly looking over his shoulder, on high alert at all times and jumping at any sudden flash of red he just so happen to come across. He breathed a sigh of relief as he pulled into the bike rack in front of Mitakihara Middle School, but that relief quickly faded away into troubling concern as he dismounted his bike and slid his hand into his pocket. He pulled out the Zi-O Ridewatch, undeniable proof that the escapades of the day before had not just been a dream or delusion, from the monster that impersonated Kamen Rider Build, to the time traveling assassin that was out for his life. Sougo looked up at the large windows that hung over the front entrance of the school, and just couldn't help but imagine a giant red robot smashing through them, sending the unsuspecting student body into a panicked frenzy. He swallowed the knot in his throat before sliding the Ridewatch back into his pocket.

"Maybe this is a bad idea after all."

"Hey!" A familiar voice called out to him before he felt a playful tap on his shoulder. Sougo couldn't help but jump a little at the sudden contact, but his nerves settled once he turned around and saw the grinning face of Sayaka, with Madoka by her side.

"Whatcha spacing out there for, Mr. Future-Ruler-of-Time?" Sayaka said, clearly amused by his tense reaction.

"Good morning, Nakazawa-kun." Madoka greeted with a polite bow and a smile.

"Oh, uh, good morning, Kaname-san, Miki-san." Sougo greeted back awkwardly, realizing now just how unused he was to being greeted by classmates. "…Say, isn't Shizuki-san usually with you in the mornings?" He asked, noticing the absence of their well-known class idol.

"Well, you see… Hitomi-chan was actually with us at the mall yesterday." Madoka explained.

"Oh no, did she get caught up in…!?" Sougo questioned frantically.

"Nope, she's safe and sound; had to go home before we ran into you." Sayaka assured the panicking boy. "But, of course, being the sheltered daughter of one of the wealthiest families in Mitakihara, her parents freaked out over the close call, so now she's gonna be driven to school for a while. She's probably already waiting for us in class."

"Phew, thank goodness." Sougo sighed in relief. "…Maybe I should have stayed home today after all."

"Why? Do you… do you think that Kamen Rider Geiz would try to attack you here?" Madoka asked anxiously.

"It's possible. I mean, think about it, this is a guy that was willing to attack a crowded mall, in broad daylight, with a _giant robot_, what's stopping him from trying again here at school?" Sougo elaborated, Madoka's face paling at the thought.

"If you're so worried about it, then why did you come today?" Sayaka asked.

"That's because…" Sougo began, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. "…I wanted to check on Akemi-san."

"The transfer student?" Sayaka said with a quizzical tilt of her head.

"Oh, that's right, Homura-chan and that other girl fought Geiz to help us escape!" Madoka recalled.

"Exactly." Sougo said. He recalled the brief, but brutal battle he had with the red clad Kamen Rider, he was hopelessly out matched and would certainly have been done for if those two girls hadn't have stepped in. "Those two really struggled against Another Build, and frankly, that thing didn't even compare to how strong Geiz was, so…" The implication hung in the air, Madoka and Sayaka trading a concerned glance.

"…Well, then what are we waiting for, let's go see if that space-case pulled through!" Sayaka asserted, forcefully pushing Sougo towards the front entrance of the school.

"Huh? Ah-hey…!"

"Sayaka-chan, hold on!" Madoka pleaded as she followed after them.

The trio managed to reach their classroom just as the warning bell chimed throughout the school, however, they were met with the unwelcomed sight of Homura's retracted seat, the girl in question nowhere to be seen.

"Akemi-san's… not here yet." Sougo said.

"W-Well, it _is_ just her second day, maybe she got lost or something." Sayaka weakly suggested, accompanied by some nervous laughter.

"Homura-chan…" Madoka whimpered, the trio falling into a solemn silence.

"Pardon me." A soft, even voice called from behind them. The three teens all immediately turned around, and standing there was none other than Akemi Homura, her blank expression a stark contrast to her classmates shocked and relieved faces.

"Akemi-san/Homura-chan/Transfer student!" The three shouted in unison. Homura's neutral expression gaining just a hint of surprise.

"Geez, don't scare us like that!" Sayaka griped, crossing her arms indignantly.

"Homura-chan, are you ok?" Madoka asked, her sincere concern showing clearly on her face.

"What happened yesterday?" Sougo inquired, equally as worried.

"…Class is about to start, would you please allow me to get to my seat?" Homura calmly replied.

"Huh?" Sougo said, before realizing that the three of them were indeed crowded around Homura's retracted desk. It was then that he realized that all eyes were on them, their classmates whispering amongst themselves while giving them all curious gazes. "Oh, uh, right."

"Sorry." Madoka said with an apologetic bow as the three all parted, allowing Homura to reach her seat.

Under the scrutinizing gazes of their classmates, Madoka and Sayaka retreated to their own seats, leaving Sougo to take his own beside Homura.

"We'll talk later." Homura said, just barely above a whisper so that only Sougo could hear.

"Huh?" He replied quizzically, but Homura didn't elaborate, her gaze glued firmly to the smart board ahead. "…Uh, ok then." Sougo said, before the starting bell rang and Saotome came into the classroom, the rest of their classmates taking their seats.

* * *

"…And then we have the "passive voice", in which the subject of the sentence is being acted upon by the object. For example, take the sentence, "He likes me." In this case…"

Sougo tried his hardest to listen to the teacher's lecture, but it was a difficult task with Homura's eyes bearing down on him all throughout the morning classes. At first, he thought he was just imagining it, but a few quick glances to his side quickly convinced him otherwise. It was subtle, certainly none of their neighbors would notice, but almost every time he would sneak a peak at his side his eyes would meet hers, the girl not even making an attempt to look away, or pretend to have been looking at something else. Try as he might, Homura's face was unreadable; Sougo could only guess at what she was thinking as she watched him like a hawk.

"…And so, when serving buttermilk pancakes, should one serve them with a side of bacon, or sausage? Well, Nakazawa-kun!?"

"H-Huh?" Sougo stammered, suddenly finding himself with the tip of a pointer just inches away from his face.

"Well, out with it young man, we don't have all day!" Saotome demanded, her poor student still trying to figure out how the lecture even came to this point.

"Uh, w-well… either one is fine, isn't it?"

"Exactly! Either one is perfectly fine! Thus, it should go without saying that judging a woman's attractiveness by which pork foodstuffs she serves with her world famous pancakes is the _gravest_ of _mistakes_!" Saotome ranted, Sougo letting out an exasperated sigh as she snapped what must have been the fifth pointer of the semester in half. "A perfect answer as always, Nakazawa-kun. Your future wife is a lucky woman indeed."

_Very well said, as expected of his Majesty's bride-to-be._

Sougo nearly choked on air, his cheeks glowing a bright red as he recalled Woz's words. Completely unaware of the state she left the boy in, Saotome continued with the lesson, leaving Sougo to slam his head against the desk and hide under his own arms as if to escape his embarrassment.

'_Of all the things she could have said…_' Sougo lamented to himself.

Before he could stop himself, he took a peak over his shoulder at Madoka, only to see the girl with her face in her hands, leaving only her red ears as a visible sign of her blushing face. At that very moment, she peaked a single eye out from between her fingers, meeting Sougo's gaze for nary a second before the two frantically looked away, their faces growing redder as they squirmed in their seats.

'_Damn it, I need to calm down, this is the _least_ of my problems right now._' He scolded himself, shaking his head to rid himself of his treacherous thoughts. However, as soon as he managed to regain some semblance of composure, he reflexively glanced back at Homura, a cold chill running up his spine as he met her gaze. Suddenly, the calm, mysterious eyes that had watched him all morning now affixed him with a deathly oppressive stare, as if she were trying to kill him with her gaze alone.

'…_Oh yeah, definitely the least of my problems._' He thought, swallowing nervously as he tried in vain to return his attention to the lesson.

* * *

Once the lunch bell rang, the students of Class 2-A were left to their own devices, separating into their friend groups and either purchasing lunch from the cafeteria, or roaming the halls in search of a place to eat their boxed lunches. Sougo, while certainly looking forward to eating his own boxed lunch, had more pressing matters to attend to, and so, with a deep breath, turned to his side to address his seat neighbor.

"So, Akemi-sa…"

"Akemi-san, would you like to eat lunch with us?"

"Are you buying lunch, or did you bring your own?

"The weather's really nice, we should eat in the courtyard!"

Sougo let out a defeated sigh. Once again, the overzealous girls of his class beat him to the punch, surrounding Homura almost the moment the lunch period started. However, just as Sougo resigned himself to having to wait till the end of class in order to receive the answers he sought, Homura's voice pierced through the enthusiastic noise.

"I'm sorry, but I actually already have plans for lunch." Homura said paying absolutely no mind to the surprised looks she was receiving as she stood from her seat. The girls parted like the red sea as Homura walked over and stopped in front of Sougo's desk. "Now then, let's go, Nakazawa Sougo."

"Huh… oh, y-yeah!" Sougo replied, scrambling to retrieve his lunch as he pretended not to notice their rejected classmates chattering amongst themselves. Before he was even out of his seat, Homura walked towards the back of the classroom, stopping before Madoka and Sayaka, who were preparing to go have lunch with their third friend, Shizuki Hitomi.

"Kaname Madoka, Miki Sayaka, would you please join us as well?" Homura asked, though the way she leered down at them made it feel almost like an order rather than a friendly request from a classmate.

"Uh, w-well…" Madoka stammered, trading an apprehensive look with Sayaka before they both looked back towards the girl who was conspicuously left out of the invitation. Shizuki Hitomi was a rather pretty young woman with wavy green hair that fell down just passed her shoulders. As the idol of Class 2-A, the public snubbing from the other rising star of the class was enough to garner the attention of the rest of the straggling students left in the classroom, which only made it harder for Madoka and Sayaka to reply. However, the girl gave her two friends an understanding smile.

"You may go if you wish, I actually needed to speak to the teacher about something anyway." Hitomi said, accepting the social slap in the face with all of the grace taught to her by her wealthy upbringing.

"Sorry, Hitomi-chan." Madoka apologized with a bow as she stood from her seat with her lunch in hand.

"We'll make this up to you." Sayaka assured as she stood as well.

"Think nothing of it, I just hope that next time we can all eat together." Hitomi replied, directed more towards Homura than anyone else.

"…Perhaps." Homura said before excusing herself with a polite nod. Madoka and Sayaka followed her out, Sougo close behind and offering Hitomi an apologetic nod of his own before joining them in the hallway.

An awkward silence befell the group as Homura led them through the halls of the school.

"…So, where are we going exactly, Akemi-san?" Sougo asked.

"The roof… for privacy." Homura replied, almost robotically.

"Hey, isn't this supposed to be your second day here? Our school is like a maze, how do you even know how to get to the roof?" Sayaka questioned, her voice dripping with suspicion.

"…Someone showed it to me."

"Who?"

"You'll see soon enough."

"You know, the cool and mysterious bit gets old _real_ fast." Sayaka griped, narrowing an annoyed glare at the back of Homura's head.

"Sayaka-chan." Madoka said disapprovingly, getting Sayaka to reluctantly back off.

Homura guided the trio up a few flights of stairs before coming to a single door, which flooded the dimly lit stairwell with blinding sunlight as it was pushed open. It took a moment for Sougo's eyes to adjust to the sudden brightness, but once they did he was awestruck by what he saw. The rooftop of their school was a wide open, rectangular space mostly consisting of white marble tiling, as well as marble benches spaced out incrementally across the center length of the roof. The fence that lined the roof consisted of evenly spaced marble pillars, connected together with white metal fencing that gave them a perfect view of the Mitakihara City skyline.

"Whoa! So this is the rooftop!?" Sougo said as he walked out onto the marble tile floor.

"Yep, pretty cool isn't it?" Sayaka said with a gloating smile on her face, as if it was something for she herself to be proud of.

"Sayaka-chan and I love coming up here to eat lunch, especially when the weather is nice like this in the spring." Madoka said with a content smile.

"I can see why." Sougo admitted, looking up at the blue sky, fluffy clouds passing by peacefully.

However, the refreshing atmosphere was promptly shattered as the sound of the door snapping shut behind them echoed throughout the roof. The trio turned to see Homura's hand still on the door, her face partially obscured by the shadows of the overhang, making her piercing gaze just that much more menacing.

"So, you actually came, Zi-O." A voice pierced through the sudden tension. The trio looked over to the side of the rooftop storage house, and out from the subtle shadows came the familiar sight of the second girl that had fought off Kamen Rider Geiz the day before, her arms crossed and her swirling pigtails blowing in the light breeze.

"Ah, it's you, the girl from yesterday!" Sayaka exclaimed.

"Oh yeah, you were a student from this school too." Sougo said, remembering having briefly seen the girl clad in the familiar school uniform just before Geiz showed up.

"Thank goodness, you two are ok." Madoka sighed with relief.

"Your concern is appreciated." Mami replied as she stepped forward, casually putting herself between the trio and the door. "Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Tomoe Mami, I'm a third year student here at Mitakihara Middle School."

"Oh, uh, I'm Nakazawa Sougo, a second year student." Sougo introduced himself.

"My name is Kaname Madoka, I'm Nakazawa-kun and Homura-chan's classmate." Madoka said, bowing as well.

"I'm Miki Sayaka, I'm in their class too." Sayaka added flippantly.

"So… Akemi-san, Tomoe-senpai, I just wanted to say thank you." Sougo said with a polite bow. "Thanks to you, we were able to escape yesterday, and defeat Another Build for good."

"…I see, so it really was you that defeated Another Build." Mami said, mostly to herself.

"Hey, speaking of which, what happened to that Geiz guy?" Sayaka asked. "Did you guys manage to beam him, or do we still have to look out for him?"

"As a matter of fact, that's exactly what we wanted to talk to you all about." Mami said, uncrossing her arms and letting her stern gaze fall squarely on Sougo. "Zi-O, the truth is… we regret rescuing you."

"…What?" Sougo said, stunned by the almost menacing proclamation.

"You… _regret_ saving Nakazawa-kun?" Madoka said, equally as shocked.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean!?" Sayaka angrily demanded.

"Tell us, Zi-O, what do you know of the future that awaits you?" Homura inquired, stepping forward to stand at Mami's side.

"My future?" Sougo said quizzically. "Well… Woz said that I'm going to become this all-powerful Ruler of Time, and that I'm going to reign over humanity as king, Omu… or was it Omi… Omo…?"

"Oma Zi-O." Homura corrected.

"Yeah, that's right, Oma Zi-O!" Sougo recalled.

"And that's all that you were told?"

"Pretty much."

"For as much as that _wooze _guy likes to talk, everything he says is vague and cryptic." Sayaka lamented with a shrug.

'_Do you believe them?_' Homura heard Mami's voice in her head.

'_They don't seem to be being deceitful._' Homura replied.'_And if I recall, _you_ were the one that insisted on giving him the benefit of the doubt._'

'_Very well._'

"You see Zi-O, after you escaped yesterday, Myokoin-san, the man you know as Kamen Rider Geiz, told us of your future as well, the future that he hails from." Mami began. "You will indeed become the Ruler of Time and wield unimaginable power… power that you will use to subjugate humanity, raining down death and destruction upon the world."

"**What!?**" Sougo, Madoka, and Sayaka all exclaimed in unison.

"Wait, hold on, are you sure we're talking about the same guy here?" Sayaka said.

"I'm afraid so." Mami replied, a hint of disappointment in her voice.

"Fifty years from now, Nakazawa Sougo will be known as the most _vile_, most _feared_ Demon King of all time, Oma Zi-O." Homura declared with a cold, almost hostile glare locked onto the boy in question.

"Me… the most vile, most feared Demon King?" Sougo said in disbelief, his gaze falling to the ground as the accusation hung in the air.

"W-Wait, that _can't_ be right!" Madoka exclaimed, gaining Homura and Mami's attention. "Nakazawa-kun is a good person, he would _never_ do something like that!"

"That's right!" Sayaka said, stepping forward defensively. "Kamen Rider Zi-O is a true blue ally of justice, or did you two forget about how he saved you from spending the rest of your lives shoved in a bottle!" She pointed accusingly at the two stone-faced girls.

"We didn't forget, however, we have reason to believe that Zi-O's motives may not have been as benevolent as they would appear to be." Homura rebuked.

"Huh, what are you talking about?" Sayaka demanded dubiously.

"You see Miki-san, according to Myokoin-san, the Another Riders were created for the sole purpose of replacing Oma Zi-O as the Demon King in the future." Mami explained.

"Yeah, we know that, so what?" Sayaka said indignantly.

"Isn't it possible then that Zi-O's motives were not to rescue us, or to protect the two of you, but instead to simply eliminate his competition to the throne?" Mami posited.

"But I didn't even _know _about the Another Rider, or the Time Jackers, until _after_ I defeated Another Build for the first time!" Sougo spoke up to defend himself.

"That's right, Woz-san didn't tell us about any of that until after we escaped from Geiz-san yesterday, honest!" Madoka said, corroborating Sougo's claim.

"You mean he didn't tell you and Miki-san until then." Homura said, her stern gaze now focused on Madoka.

"Huh?"

"Kaname Madoka, didn't Woz also tell you that you are to wed Oma Zi-O in the future?" Homura asked, much to Madoka's surprise.

"Eh! Th-that's… I-I mean…" Madoka stammered in embarrassment, before simply nodding her head in acknowledgement.

"If that's the case, then wouldn't it benefit Zi-O and his follower to have you view him in a positive light?" Homura suggested. "Can you say with absolute certainty that Zi-O and Woz didn't just cook up this scenario in order to gain your favor?" She spared Sougo an incriminating glance before narrowing her gaze back onto Madoka, who struggled to reply.

"Well… that's…"

"Oh what, so you'll scrutinize everything about the guy that saved your lives, but you'll just take the word of some psycho time traveler that smashed up a crowded mall with a giant robot!?" Sayaka accused, too riled up to notice the hateful glare Homura affixed her with.

"I'll admit, that was a rather poor decision on his part, but Myokoin-san had his reasons." Mami said. "Apparently, his intention was to follow Zi-O home and ambush him there, but once he made contact with Kaname-san, who according to history was present during Zi-O's first transformation, he panicked, and that fiasco was the result." She explained.

"But, either way, he still wanted to kill Nakazawa-kun, right?" Madoka spoke up. "Even if everything you're saying is true, Nakazawa-kun hasn't done anything yet, it's not fair to punish him for something that hasn't even happened yet!"

"…I agree." Mami said, much to the first years' surprise. "While it's true that we can't be certain that Zi-O is being deceitful, on the chance that he truly is as oblivious to his future as he claims to be, it _would_ be unfair to punish him for a crime he has yet to commit." The older girl conceded.

"Uh, y-yeah, _obviously_!" Sayaka asserted.

"Which is why, to make up for the incident at the mall, Myokoin-san has agreed to give you the benefit of the doubt as well."

"Wait, really?" Sougo gasped in surprise, as well as no small amount of relief.

"Don't misunderstand, you're not completely off the hook just yet, Zi-O." Homura quickly asserted. "We're simply giving you a chance to prove that you don't in fact intend to follow the path of the Demon King."

"Ok, and how exactly do I do that?" Sougo asked.

"For starters, you can return the power of Build to Kiryu Sento." Mami instructed.

"Huh? The power of Build?" Sougo said quizzically. "…You mean, the Build Ridewatch?"

"That's right." Mami confirmed. "According to history, the Demon King, Oma Zi-O, ascends to the throne by stealing the powers of the Kamen Riders of the Heisei Era, and as a result, those heroes and all of their deeds are erased from history." She revealed, the trio of younger students all gasping in shock.

"What!?" Sougo reached into his pocket and pulled out the red and blue Build Ridewatch, recalling the moment he gave its blank counterpart to Sento back in 2017.

_Kiryu? My name is Katsuragi Takumi_

"So, the reason Kiryu-san and Banjou-san lost their memories…" Madoka began.

"That's right, by claiming the Build Ridewatch, Zi-O has erased Kamen Rider Build from history, and thus is right on track to becoming the most vile, most feared Demon King." Homura confirmed.

"No way…" Sayaka said in disbelief.

_According to this book, victory will come with a fair deal of responsibility… are you certain you wish to undertake that, my Lord?_

"So that's what he meant…" Sougo realized, recalling the cryptic warning Woz had given him the moment before he donned the BuildArmor.

"Now then, if you truly don't intend to walk the path of the Demon King, then you shouldn't have any objections to returning the power of Build to its rightful owner." Mami said, holding her hand out, silently demanding that the Ridewatch be turned over to her.

Sougo traded a concerned look with Madoka and Sayaka, before looking back down at the Build Ridewatch in contemplation.

"…Well, with Another Build gone, it's not like I really need this anymore, right?" Sougo admitted.

As he looked down at the device that held the power of Kamen Rider Build, of Kiryu Sento, he thought of the relief he felt when he and Cross-Z came to his and Madoka's aid in 2017, and of the devastation when he realized that defeating Another Build hadn't restored Build and Cross-Z to the timeline. He looked over to Madoka, who had been the most distraught over the duo's fate, the girl meeting his gaze and giving a determined nod.

"…Alright, I'll do it." Sougo declared, about to step forward and relinquish the Build Ridewatch to Mami.

"I would not recommend that, my Lord." Sougo and his classmates jumped in surprise as Woz suddenly appeared beside them, Mami and Homura falling into more combative postures at the prophet's spontaneous appearance.

"Woz? What are you doing here?" Sougo asked.

"More importantly, _how _did you get here?" Mami demanded, her ring glowing with yellow light as she prepared herself for a fight.

"Well, this _is_ somebody who can time travel without a time machine, so I guess sneaking into a middle school wouldn't be too much trouble for him." Madoka said.

"Please forgive my sudden intrusion my Lady, I simply came to deliver this." Woz said, kneeling before Madoka and presenting her with a light pink cellphone rested upon a regal looking pillow.

"My cellphone!" Madoka cheered, taking the small device from the pillow.

"It appears you had misplaced it in the year 2017, perhaps when you were so rudely expelled from the Time Mazine due to your companion's negligence." Woz passive aggressively suggested.

"I said I was sorry, give me a break already." Sayaka said with a huff, Madoka and Sougo giving a nervous chuckle. Homura and Mami traded a baffled glance, before relaxing their postures when it was clear that a battle was not imminent.

"Actually Woz, you came at just the right time, there's something I need to ask you." Sougo spoke up.

"Of course my Lord, how may I be of service?" Woz said with an accommodating nod of his head.

"Well… you told me that I would become a wise and just ruler, that I would lead humanity into an age of peace and prosperity." Sougo began. "But, according to Geiz, I'm going to become the most vile, most feared Demon King of all time, and cause untold pain and suffering… is that true?" Sougo asked, a worried and desperate look on his face.

Woz's jovial smile disappeared from his face at the question. He turned an accusing gaze towards Homura and Mami, the girls meeting his eyes challengingly, almost daring him to make a move, before he turned back to look at his charges.

"You need not worry yourself over such wild accusations, my Lord." Woz eventually replied. "Geiz-kun has spent his entire life listening to the rhetoric of your enemies, and now it seems he is feeding that same misguided view of your reign to these… _ungrateful_ knaves." Woz spat at the girls, who narrowed menacing glares on him in response.

"See? That Geiz guy obviously doesn't know what he's talking about." Sayaka insisted.

"We're _hardly_ willing to just take the word of Oma Zi-O's most loyal servant." Mami asserted, earning an annoyed growl from Sayaka.

"Then, what about the Build Ridewatch?" Madoka asked, earning Woz's attention. "Is it… is it true that it's _our_ fault that Build was erased from history?" She asked apprehensively.

"_That_, I'm afraid, is in fact the truth." Woz admitted, much to everyone's shock. "When my Lord used the Build Ridewatch to defeat Another Build, he not only inherited the power of Build, but his place in history as well, as is his privilege as the heir to all Riders." He explained with a dismissive grin on his face.

"No…" Madoka muttered with a crestfallen look on her face.

"But, that's only because I took the Build Ridewatch, right?" Sougo said hopefully. "If I just give it back, then…"

"I'm afraid that's not possible, my Lord." Woz lamented, though his smile never wavered. "According to this book, once Zi-O has claimed the power of a Legend Rider, that power exists _only_ for Zi-O to make use of. In the hands of anybody else, the Build Ridewatch may as well be a decorative ornament, and nothing more."

"So… Build is gone forever?" Sougo said, a horrified look on his face.

"I'm afraid so." The dismissive response almost broke Sougo, as well as his classmates, as they realized the grave mistake they had made.

"No… Woz, why didn't you tell me about all this before I did this!" Sougo demanded frantically, Woz's smile finally fading from his face.

"If I had told you my Lord, would that have stopped you from using the Ridewatch to fight Another Build?"

"Of course I…" Sougo stopped himself, as he began to realize the dilemma.

The power of Build was needed to defeat Another Build, and unfortunately, the real Kamen Rider Build was unable to defeat his counterpart before he was erased from history. Thus, using the Build Ridewatch was the only way to defeat Another Build, and had he not done so, then that horrible creature would be allowed to roam free, and hurt countless of other innocent people. Sougo thought back to the moment he donned the BuildArmor, to the moment he defeated Another Build and rescued all of those people. He thought back to the little girl, waving at them through the police station window, and he thought back to the moment Kiryu Sento… the moment _Katsuragi Takumi_, took the blank Ridewatches from him.

"I… I don't know." Sougo admitted, looking down at the Build Ridewatch as his grip tightened around it in frustration.

"Nakazawa-kun…" Madoka said, concerned for the conflicted boy.

"How convenient. Now you have a perfectly good excuse not to give up the power you stole after all." Homura said, Sougo flinching at the accusation.

"The weight of your sin is much heavier than I thought." Mami lamented in disappointment.

"But… But it was an accident!" Madoka insisted.

"That doesn't change the fact that Kamen Rider Build is lost, and history is right on track towards a ruinous future." Mami rebuked.

"How appalling." Woz spoke up. "My Lord risked his very life to rescue you both, and you repay him with hostility and suspicion. Honestly, my Lord's kindness is clearly wasted on your kind." The prophet turned his nose up from the girls in question, who only offered hostile glares in response.

"Their _kind_?" Madoka said quizzically.

"Speaking of which, what exactly _is_ your kind anyway?" Sayaka interrogated. "You two aren't Kamen Riders, right? But you were still able to put up a fight against Another Build and use magic and stuff. So, what even are you?"

"I suppose that's a fair question." Mami said.

'_We can't tell them._' Homura snapped in Mami's head.

'_We have to tell them _something._ If we don't, it'll just be another reason for them not to trust us._' Mami argued.

'…_Fine._'

"The two of us are Magical Girls." Mami began. "To put it simply, we are individuals with the ability to use magic tasked with protecting humanity from threats that they are unaware of." The explanation was left purposefully vague, but it seemed to be enough for the trio.

"So… you're allies of justice, just like the Kamen Riders?" Madoka said, with just a hint of child like wonder that Mami couldn't help but crack a smile at.

"Something like that, yes." The older girl replied before returning to a more stoic demeanor.

"It's our duty to protect humanity from those that would spread curses and cause despair." Homura stated. "Zi-O, regardless of your intentions, the fact still remains that your actions are in line with the history of an apocalyptic future."

"We repaid your earlier kindness when we rescued you from Myokoin-san, but as Magical Girls, we can't afford to so readily trust you, not with the fate of the whole world hanging in the balance." Mami asserted.

"…I see." Sougo said, hanging his head with a conflicted look on his face. "So, if I _can't_ prove to you that I won't become the Demon King, then…"

"In that case…"

"Then we will do what we must to protect the future." Homura declared, the unspoken threat obvious to all.

"No… you can't!" Madoka desperately pleaded.

"Oh yeah, well…!" Sayaka began, rolling up her sleeves and shooting them a challenging scowl.

"Ok then." Sougo said, the girls all looking at him in surprise. "In that case, I'll try my best to earn your trust."

"Nakazawa-kun?" Madoka said, almost amazed at the proclamation.

"Hold on, you don't have to…"

"Oh, I know!" Sougo gasped, cutting off Sayaka's protests. He reached into his other pocket and pulled out the Cross-Z Ridewatch. "Here, give this to Geiz." He said, walking up and offering Mami the Ridewatch.

"What?" Mami said looking rather baffled by the offer.

"You had a second Legend Ridewatch?" Homura added.

"Yeah, the power of Kamen Rider Cross-Z; Build's assistant, Banjou Ryuga." Sougo explained.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, just hold on a second!" Sayaka said as she and Madoka came forward to Sougo's side.

"Nakazawa-kun, are sure about this?" Madoka questioned with concern.

"Yeah, if these chicks decide they're not gonna trust you, then that time traveling assassin is definitely going to use that watch against you!" Sayaka warned, adamantly against the idea.

"I know. That's the idea." Sougo replied with a knowing smile, much to his classmate's confusion. He then turned back to Mami and Homura. "Consider this a peace offering. This way, if Geiz and I ever do need to fight, we'll be on equal footing, just like last time."

The implication was clear. During their last battle, Geiz had an overwhelming skill advantage against Zi-O, so by giving up the only other advantage he had, Sougo hoped to foster trust between him and his adversary. Mami looked back at Homura, who after a moment gave an approving nod.

"Very well, considering that there's nothing we can do about the Power of Build, this will have to suffice." Mami said before taking the blue and orange device from Sougo's outstretched hand.

"Is that ok with you, Woz?" Sougo called back to the prophet.

"…If such is your will my Lord, than I shall not object." Woz replied with a respectful bow, though the sour look on his face said otherwise.

"Great, so we…"

_RATTLE… RATTLE…_

"Huh? It's locked?" The five teens all looked back at the door to the stairwell, Sougo now noticing how its frame glowed a slight purple as the handle was jiggled from the other side.

"We're out of time." Homura said.

"Well, I'm afraid we're going to have to end things here." Mami lamented.

"So, you're still giving Nakazawa-kun a chance, right?" Madoka asked hopefully.

"He's earned the benefit of the doubt, just as promised." Mami assured, Madoka and Sougo letting out sighs of relief, though the feeling didn't last long as Mami affixed Sougo with a stern gaze. "But remember Zi-O, we'll be keeping a close eye on you for the time being. And if you give us any reason to believe that you will become the Demon King in the future… then we won't hesitate to eliminate you."

Leaving the threat to hang in the air, Mami turned on her heel and made for the door. Homura lingered for a moment, her gaze switching from a nervous looking Sougo to a nearly cowering Madoka and then back again, before eventually following after Mami. The transfer student then dispelled the magic holding the door shut, finally allowing the girl on the other side entry as it suddenly flew open.

"Whoa! Huh…?"

"Pardon us." Mami said, offering the other girl a polite bow, which was returned as the new arrival stepped to the side to allow her and Homura to pass. The girl looked back to the three remaining students on the roof, their lingering tension visible on their faces.

"Uh, did I interrupt something?"

"Huh? Oh no, we were just…" Sougo began, frantically peaking over his shoulder only to find the suspicious looking prophet nowhere to be seen, much to his relief. "…About to have some lunch." He said, Madoka and Sayaka nodding in agreement in an attempt to feign ignorance.

The girl eyed them quizzically for a moment, but quickly gave an indifferent shrug as she placed an ear bud back onto her ear and returned her full attention to the handheld game system she had in her hands. The trio watched anxiously as the girl walked onto the rooftop and sat against one of the marble pillars, the three of them sighing in relief once it was clear the girl had no interest in grilling them about their suspicious behavior. Finally, the last of their tension was lifted as the sound of Madoka's stomach growling filled the air. Sougo and Sayaka looked over at the petit girl, who clutched her belly and gave a nervous laugh, her classmates chuckling in response.

* * *

The lunch rush in Mitakihara City's business district was a rather hectic time, second only to the morning commute. The streets were filled with over worked employees frantically racing to pick up their lunches and rush back to their desks so that they may work while they ate. In the sea of business suits and briefcases, Heure the Time Jacker stood out like a sore thumb, casually strolling down the sidewalk with his hands in his blue nylon attire. A few people sitting at a few nearby tables spared the boy an odd look, however, his conspicuousness was nary a problem, as suddenly the frantic men and women around him all froze in place, their forms glitching slightly as time itself ground to a screeching halt.

"Looks like things didn't work out, huh? With that brat you made into Kamen Rider Build." A taunting voice called out in the frozen void, accompanied by the clacking of heeled boots on the pavement.

Heure turned around to find an older girl, unfrozen like himself, wearing an icy blue outfit of the same nylon material as his own, adorned with similar silver ring studs as well. Her black hair was intricately braided near the front, before falling down neatly in the back, reaching her shoulders and swooping upwards at the ends. Hanging off the right side of her face was a hair tassel that ended in a pink feather.

"She was doing perfectly fine… before someone interfered." Heure asserted, the girl's taunting smile falling from her face.

"Interfered? Who did?" She asked curiously.

"…Zi-O." Heure hesitantly replied.

"_Seriously!?_ He actually followed us here!?" The girl snapped, her pretty face wrinkling into an irritated scowl as she walked over and sat on the back of an unoccupied chair. "Geez, that old geezer is such a pain!"

"No, not _him_, a younger Zi-O from _this_ era." Heure corrected, pacing around the various frozen people. "He may not be as strong just yet, but you still shouldn't take him lightly. After all, you're looking for your own candidate to be king, aren't you, Ora?" He said with a knowing smile.

"Oh, don't you worry about me." Ora replied with a confident smirk as she reached over and grabbed a pinwheel out of a frozen child's grasp. "I've already put a scheme of my own into motion."

She blew into the frozen pinwheel, the glitching blades turning once more as time once again began moving forward, the child looking around in confusion as his toy, and the Time Jackers, were nowhere to be seen.

* * *

"Grrrr, can you _believe _those two jerks!" Sayaka said as she began scarfing down the last few bites of her rice. "You risk your life… to save their sorry butts, and then they go and get all… buddy-buddy with the psycho assassin from the future… _unbelievable!_" She ranted in between bites, nearly choking on her food more than once.

"Calm down, Sayaka-chan, this is the fourth time you've said that." Madoka awkwardly pointed out.

"Well, it's true." Sayaka asserted, crossing her arms indignantly. "Honestly, the nerve of those… Mystic Girls, or whatever they're called."

"Um… should we really be talking about this right now?" Sougo said apprehensively. The two girls followed his gaze over to the girl sitting against the pillar, eyes glued firmly to the screen of her Genm Corp Play Pad and ear buds hanging from her ears.

"Eh, we don't have to worry about her, when you get in the zone like that, you might as well be in your own little world." Sayaka said dismissively.

"Yeah, when Sayaka-chan gets like that when playing a game, it'd take a meteor hitting the city to get her to look away." Madoka playfully agreed.

"Hey!" Sayaka shouted, earning a chuckle from both of her classmates. "Hmph! Anyway, you really didn't have to go along with all of that "benefit of the doubt" stuff, Nakazawa. You didn't do anything wrong, why should you have to prove yourself to _those_ two?" She argued, pointing her chopsticks at Sougo in scolding.

"Well, it's not like I actually intend to become a king in the first place, let alone the most vile, most feared Demon King of all time, so it shouldn't be too hard to prove to them that I mean no harm." Sougo replied. "Besides, accident or not, I still erased Build from history. At the very least, I needed to make up for that."

"Mmm… I guess." Sayaka reluctantly conceded. "Still, they didn't have to be so rude about it."

"I hope you can clear things up with them soon." Madoka said. "You're all on the same side, so you shouldn't be fighting with each other." She looked down at her half finished rice with a pensive look on her face, but was immediately brought out of her melancholic thoughts by the sound of the bell chiming.

"Well, lunch break's over." Sayaka said, Sougo letting out a worried sigh.

"I'm _really_ not looking forward to having Akemi-san glare at me for the rest of the afternoon." He lamented as he packed up his lunch box and made his way to the door with his classmates.

However, he then noticed the other girl out of the corner of his eye, hunched over and fingers tapping furiously on the buttons of her Play Pad.

"Hey, uh, the bell rang, you should probably get back to class." Sougo suggested, raising his voice enough so he could be heard over the girl's ear buds. She spared him a glance before removing one of her ear buds in order to address him.

"Nah, I'm good here." She shrugged off the warning.

"Eh? You're going to skip class just to play that game?" Madoka said in disbelief.

"_Someone_ sure likes to live on the edge." Sayaka quipped sarcastically.

"I can't help it, I've been trying to beat this game for weeks, and I've _finally_ managed to make it to the final level. I'm _soooo_ close, I can't quit _now!_"

With that declaration, the girl placed the ear bud back in her ear, putting all of her focus back into the game. Sougo traded a baffled look with Madoka, before shrugging his shoulders in defeat.

"Well… ok, suit yourself then." The boy said, leaving the girl to her own devices.

"Come on… just a little… more…" The girl muttered to herself as she guided her character across the screen. However, as she inched closer and closer to the end goal, her screen began to freeze up, the colorful images becoming distorted with static. Suddenly, she was blinded by a bright pink flash of light, and when her eyes readjusted, the screen was now completely frozen.

"Huh? What was…?"

The girl's pondering was soon interrupted, as she suddenly heard a low, menacing growl practically right next to her ear.

"Huh… KYYYYAAAAAHHHH!"

The scream instantly grabbed Sougo, Madoka, and Sayaka's attention. The trio looked back to the girl from the stairwell door, shocked to see the girl scooting on her back in terror as a horrific looking creature loomed over her. The monster was humanoid in shape, with leathery pink skin that suddenly became neon green on its arms and legs, with what seemed to be black circuitry running up and down its body. Its chest and shoulders were covered by metallic gray armor, littered with spikes and jagged saw blades, with wild, swept up pink hair on the top of its head that eventually lead into tribal looking dreadlocks that fell down its shoulders. On what seemed to be a transparent glass screen on its chest armor was the word "_EX-AID_", written in bold white letters. The creature reached down and grabbed the girl by the collar, lifting her to her feet as she let out another horrified scream.

"Oh no!" Sougo screamed as he rushed to the girl's aid, only for the creature to effortlessly smack him away.

"Nakazawa-kun!" Madoka exclaimed as she and Sayaka rushed to his side.

As they helped Sougo to his feet, the creature brought its focus back to the girl in its grasp. It lifted one of its clawed hands and waved it over its victim's face, the girl desperately struggling against the monster's grip. However, almost instantly, her struggling stopped, her body going completely limp as she lost consciousness and was simply tossed aside by her captor. The creature then looked back towards Sougo and his classmates, looking them over with its glowing, almost cartoonish orange eyes through its goggle-like visor.

"That's… an Another Rider!" Sougo realized before taking out his Ziku-Driver and strapping it on.

"_Ziku-Driver!_" The device announced. Sougo then took the Zi-O Ridewatch in his hand, turned the dial, and activated it.

"_Zi-O!_"

The Ziku-Driver began looping its standby jingle as Sougo slid the Ridewatch into the left hand slot and hit the button at the top. Madoka and Sayaka took a step back as the clock face projection appeared behind him.

"Henshin!" Sougo shouted before rotating the Driver back into place.

"_Rider Time! Kamen Rider Zi-O!_" The Driver announced as Sougo was engulfed by the rotating watchstraps and transformed into Kamen Rider Zi-O.

Once his visor snapped into place, Zi-O dashed forward, letting out a loud war cry as he chambered his fist and threw it at the Another Rider… only for the creature to suddenly vanish in a flash of pixels, leaving Zi-O to clumsily collide with the rooftop fence.

"Gah! Huh? Wha… where…?"

"It's gone!" Sayaka exclaimed in shock, she and Madoka looking around the rooftop for any sign of the Another Rider.

"…Hey, are you ok? Can you here me? Hey!" Zi-O said as he fell to his knees by the girl's side, trying to shake her awake.

"Is she…?" Madoka asked hesitantly, dreading the answer.

"She's alive, I think she's just unconscious." Zi-O assured after quickly checking if she was breathing.

"We have to get her to the nurse's office!" Madoka declared, Zi-O nodding his head in compliance.

Undoing his transformation, Sougo lifted the girl up in his arms and made for the door, Madoka holding it open for him. Sayaka followed close behind, but at the last second she looked back onto the rooftop, her eyes falling on the girl's discarded Play Pad.

* * *

"Oh dear, not another one." The school nurse said after a brief examination of the now bed ridden patient.

"Another one?" Sougo said quizzically. "What do you mean by that?"

"Recently, students from different schools all over the city have been coming down with these exact same symptoms." She explained. "Why, just last week we had to send a first year student to the hospital."

"The hospital!?" Madoka cried in concern.

"Is she alright?" Sayaka asked.

"From what I hear, they were able to stabilize her, but they can't do much in the way of treatment, since they still don't know what's causing the illness." The nurse admitted, doing little to ease the students' worries. Regardless, the kids were sent on their way, the nurse needing to contact the local hospital and afternoon classes already underway.

"There's no way that's just a regular old illness, it's _definitely_ that Another Rider that made that girl and the other patients sick!" Sayaka declared.

"Yeah, no doubt about it." Sougo concurred.

"So, what are we going to do?" Madoka asked.

"We're gonna find that googley-eyed creep and kick its butt, obviously!" Sayaka replied, slamming her right fist into her left palm aggressively.

"But, to do that, won't we need the power of a Legend Rider again?" Madoka reminded them.

"Oh… right." Sougo said, halting their trek through the hallway as realization dawned on him.

"If we make a Legend Ridewatch like last time, then another Kamen Rider will be erased from history, just like Build was." Madoka rubbed her arm nervously, clearly against the idea of repeating their previous mistake.

"So what, we just sit by and do nothing while the Another Rider keeps hospitalizing people?" Sayaka rebuked, almost accusingly.

"N-No, of course not, but…"

"No, Kaname-san is right." Sougo quickly came to the pinkette's defense. "We can't just keep erasing Kamen Riders from history, especially with Akemi-san and Tomoe-senpai watching our every move."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Sayaka conceded. "So what _are_ we gonna do then?"

"Hmm… I guess the only thing we _can_ do is what we tried to do last time, go back in time to when the Another Rider was first created and help the original Legend Rider defeat it." Sougo suggested.

"You think it'll work this time?" Sayaka inquired dubiously.

"I don't know, but it's the only other plan we have." Sougo admitted regretfully. "By the way, did either of you happen to see if the Another Rider had a date on its body like the last one?" He asked.

"Uhh… Nope, didn't see it." Sayaka replied.

"Me neither, sorry." Madoka lamented, much to Sougo's disappointment.

"Yeah, I didn't either, it vanished before I could even try and look for it."

"What do we do?" Madoka asked.

"Guess we're just going to have to track it down again. The question is where do we even start?"

The trio pondered the dilemma, lamenting the fact that they really didn't have much to go on in the mere minute of time they were in contact with the Another Rider. However, after a moment of deep thought, Sayaka's face lit up.

"Oh, I know!" The blunette said, gaining Sougo and Madoka's attention as she reached into her pocket. "_Ta-da!_" She exclaimed presenting the Genm Corp Play Pad she had recovered from the rooftop.

"That's… the video game that girl was playing?" Sougo quizzically recalled.

"Sayaka-chan, you shouldn't take other people's things without permission." Madoka said disapprovingly.

"Hey, hold on, I didn't just swipe it for no reason!" Sayaka asserted.

"Then why _did_ you take it?" Sougo asked.

"You see, back on the rooftop, the Another Rider didn't just disappear into thin air, it's body kind of, uh… broke apart, into little pixels or something." Sayaka explained. "Then, I saw those pixels fly into this game."

"What? Really?" Sougo said in surprised.

"Now that you mention it, I think I remember that too." Madoka recalled.

"Right? So I figured, maybe this game has something to do with the Another Rider." Sayaka said as she handed the Play Pad to Sougo.

"Hmm… maybe." Sougo pondered, looking over the small, handheld device. He eventually found the on switch, and with a quick flick, the Play Pad came to life, displaying the Genm Corp. logo before falling upon the title screen of the game it was previously running. "Mighty Action… R?"

"I've never heard of that game before." Madoka admitted.

"…Huh, her save data is gone." Sougo said quizzically, the only option showing up on the screen being "New Game".

"Hmm… wait, could that be…?" Sayaka pondered before pulling out her cellphone and making a quick Internet search. "Aha! I _knew_ it!"

"What is it, Miki-san?" Sougo asked before the blunette presented her cellphone to him and Madoka. The screen displayed a post from what seemed to be a sketchy looking, online urban legend forum. "A game that can't be beat…?" He read the headline.

"Recently, there've been rumors all over the net about a game that curses you if you try to play it, so no one has ever been able to beat it." Sayaka explained as she scrolled down through the post. Eventually, the screen stopped on a picture of the Mighty Action R title screen.

"Hey… that's _this _game!" Sougo exclaimed.

"Right? I _knew_ it looked familiar, it's a pretty popular rumor on most urban legend sites."

"Sayaka-chan _does_ love to look up those kinds of rumors." Madoka said, the blunette in question oblivious to the jab and taking it as praise.

"So, if you get far enough in this game, the Another Rider appears and infects you with that strange illness?" Sougo deduced.

"Looks like it, and since it's such a popular urban legend, I'm sure there are a lot of people out there that are trying it." Sayaka said.

"Oh no! If that's true, then all those people are in danger!" Madoka exclaimed.

"It's a good thing we caught this so soon. Good job, Miki-san." Sougo said, the blunette accepting the praise wholeheartedly.

"Haha, all in a days work for Ace Detective Sayaka-chan! And my work's far from done." She declared, snatching the Play Pad back from Sougo.

"Huh? Wait, you're not thinking of…"

"Well, if the save data is gone, then _somebody's_ gonna have to play through the game again, and I have a feeling I've got you both beat when it comes to video games."

"But, if you play it, then the Another Rider will…" Madoka said with a pleading look on her face.

"Don't worry Madoka, I'm not _that_ stupid." Sayaka assured the worried pinkette. "That girl said she made it all the way to the final level before that thing showed up, so I'll just play up till the last level on my own, and then tomorrow we'll play the last level together, and _jump_ that Another Rider when it shows its ugly face!"

"Well… ok, just promise you'll be careful." Madoka relented.

"Of course! Trust me, that Another Rider won't even know what hit him!" Sayaka declared with a wink and a confident smirk.

* * *

"Ugghhh…" Sougo didn't really know what to make of the dead eyed girl that was currently slumped over the table in the lounge area of his family clock shop.

That morning, Sayaka and Madoka had showed up at his front door, the normally boastful and energetic blunette looking like death itself, with heavy bags under her eyes that were glued to the screen of their schoolmate's Play Pad. As it was Sunday, the trio was all sporting casual clothing; Sougo wore a yellow button up shirt with short sleeves and a pair of dark grey pants, while Madoka wore a red dress with white polka dots under an unbuttoned white cardigan sweater. Sayaka, being the half dead shell of a girl that she was at the moment, wore the bare minimum of what could be called an outfit, a simple shirt that was blue near the collar, white in the center, and yellow at the bottom, paired with a navy blue skirt.

"Uh… what's up with Miki-san?" Sougo asked Madoka.

"Apparently she stayed up all night playing that cursed game." Madoka explained.

"It was horrible…" Sayaka mumbled into the table. "I couldn't even get passed the first level…"

"Is it really that hard?" Sougo said curiously as he looked over the abandoned Play Pad.

"Oh,_ I_ know what you're thinking! Poor old, pathetic Sayaka-chan shouldn't have boasted like that if she was just going to fall flat on her face!" Sayaka snapped, glaring at the boy with her tired, bloodshot eyes. "Well, why don't _you_ two try it out if I'm such a disappointment!?" With that cranky challenge, the girl slammed her head back onto the table, returning to ignoring her classmates' existence.

"Uh… well, for now, I guess I'll have to give it a shot." Sougo said before starting up the game.

…

"_GAME OVER!_"

"Whhaaaa!" Sougo cried as his little character lost his last life.

…

"_GAME OVER!_"

"Awww…" Madoka whimpered as she too was vanquished.

…

"_GAME OVER!_"

"…_OVER!_"

"…_OVER!_"

"…_OVER!_"

…

"_GAME OVER!_"

"…This is impossible." Sougo grumbled all three teens now sprawled over the table in despair.

"Told ya…" Sayaka said.

"Well, that girl _did_ say it took her weeks just to make it to the last level." Madoka recalled. Sougo sighed in defeat.

"Well, I guess this avenue is a bust." Sougo lamented as he lifted up his head and stared in disappointment at the taunting Game Over screen.

"Not necessarily." Sayaka said, sitting up as well. "Sure it'll take a while, but if we keep playing, we're bound to reach the end eventually."

"Yeah, but if the game is as popular as you say it is, then there'll definitely be more victims by the time we actually manage to beat it." Sougo rebuked.

"Right… so what now?" Sayaka asked, the two already deep in thought.

"...Well, if _we_ can't beat the game, then maybe we can find somebody else who can." Madoka suggested as she finally sat up. "Like, somebody who's really good at video games and could beat it really quickly."

"You mean, like a pro?" Sayaka said quizzically.

"Yeah, like a pro."

"Ok, but where are we gonna find a pro gamer that can beat such an unbeatable game that quickly?" Sougo inquired, failing to notice how Sayaka had already pulled out her cellphone.

"Mmm… ah, found it!" She exclaimed. "A Genius Gamer that can beat even the hardest game!"

"Well that was fast."

"As expected of Sayaka-chan." Madoka playfully praised.

"He goes by the username "M"… he's won countless gaming competitions… and holds tons of world records for clearing some of the hardest games in short times!" Sayaka read through the article.

"Sounds perfect, let's get in touch with him!" Sougo said.

"Well, that's the thing, nobody knows his real name, or his contact info." Sayaka regretted to inform. "Not only that, he's been absent from the competitive gaming scene for a while, nobody knows what he's even up to nowadays."

"Aww, and he sounded so promising to." Madoka lamented sadly.

"…Even so, Genius Gamer M is our best bet right now." Sougo said before standing up from the table. "I'm gonna go look for him!" He declared before making his way to the door.

"Huh? H-Hey, hold on!" Sayaka said as she stood as well.

"Wait for us!" Madoka pleaded, following close behind as well.

* * *

With little to no information to go on, the trio's search was relegated mostly to local arcades and game shops, anywhere that gamers gathered to… well, play games. The idea was that even if they couldn't find this Genius Gamer M in the wild, they could maybe find somebody who has, or find out the specific store where the renowned gamer purchased his games from. With the Time Mazine, the trio was able to cover a lot of ground, searching not only around Mitakihara, but also the neighboring cities of Kazamino and Kamihama as well. But alas, they came up short, the closest they came being a few gamers who claimed to have played on the same online server as M once.

And so, here they were, exhausted and downtrodden, taking a break from their search in a park as they regretfully went over their lack of results.

"Well… we should have known it wouldn't be that simple." Sougo lamented as he and Sayaka sat on a park bench.

"Even the other people we met that were playing the cursed game were having just about as much luck with it as we were." Sayaka said with a disappointed sigh.

"Sorry for the wait~!" Madoka said as she trotted up to them, three crepes in hand.

"Oh, thank you." Sougo said with a polite nod as he took one of the sweet confections. Sayaka took one as well before Madoka took a seat beside her on the bench.

"So, what do we do now?" Madoka asked before taking a bite of her crepe.

"Hmm… maybe we can lure him out. Like, post a public challenge on a gaming forum!" Sayaka suggested.

"I've met a few guys who tried that before. Apparently, M used to accept challenges like that all the time, but he hasn't since he left the competitive gaming scene." Sougo regretfully shot down the idea.

"Ugghhh, this is _hopeless_!" Sayaka cried, flailing her feet like a whining toddler. "At this rate, it might actually be faster just to try and clear the game ourselves!"

"That's really our only other option, huh?" Madoka said, all three teens sighing, taking momentary solace in their cream and fruit filled treats.

"You seem to be in quite the predicament, Kaname Madoka, Miki Sayaka."

"Huh?" Madoka and Sayaka looked up from their deserts to where the voice that had addressed them came from. Across from them, sitting on its hind legs on the edge of the park fountain, was a small, cat like creature with pure white fur, and beady little red eyes staring directly at them.

"Greetings, it's a pleasure to meet you both, my name is Kyubey." The creature introduced itself, its voice echoing in their heads rather than emanating from its motionless, feline mouth.

"…**What!?**" The two girls exclaimed in unison, startling Sougo.

"Whoa! What's wrong?" The boy asked.

"That little animal is… talking to us." Madoka said in bewilderment, Sayaka just pointing at the creature with her mouth agape.

"Animal… what animal?" Sougo said quizzically. Madoka and Sayaka looked at their companion incredulously, watching as he brought his hand up to shield his eyes from the sun as he searched high and low for the creature that was just sitting there out in the open for all to see.

"What do you mean "what animal"? _That!_ Right _there!_ That cat-like thing with white fur and beady eyes and… four ears?" Sayaka awkwardly described the creature; its long bushy tail swaying back and forth behind it at it tilted its head innocently.

"…What's in these things?" Sougo said, taking the crepe from Sayaka's hand and eying it suspiciously.

"Nakazawa-kun… can you really not see it?" Madoka said, looking between Sougo and the white animal curiously.

"I'm afraid not." The creature called Kyubey replied, regaining the girl's attention. "Most ordinary people _can't_ see me, especially males." It explained.

"Ordinary…?" Madoka looked back at Sougo, who sniffed at his and Sayaka's crepes as he compared the two. Certainly, Madoka could have described Nakazawa Sougo as "ordinary" just a day ago, but knowing what she did now, that was the _last_ word she would use to describe him. Which begged the question… "Then, how can _we _see you?"

"The truth is, I have a very important favor to ask of you both." Kyubey said, hopping off the fountain and approaching the trio. "And in exchange, I can help you with this problem that you seem to be having."

"Eh, really?" Madoka said with a hopeful look on her face.

"Huh? What?" Sougo said in confusion.

"You can help us find Genius Gamer M!?" Sayaka iterated.

"What? You figured out how to find him!?"

"Of course, I can make any impossibility into a reality, all you have to do is make a contract with me, and become a Magical…"

_ZAP_

Suddenly, in a flash of red light, the little creature's body exploded, sending red and white chunks of Kyubey all over the grey tiled walkway. The girls both screamed in horror, while Sougo just jumped in surprise, dropping the crepes in the process.

"As expected, those cretins were quick to make a move." Said the familiar voice of Woz, futuristic pistol in hand as he stood across from them.

"Woz?" Sougo said in confusion as the prophet approached.

"Hey, why the hell did you go and do that!?" Sayaka shouted accusingly.

"How awful… poor Kyubey." Madoka whimpered, tears welling up in her eyes as averted her gaze from the remains of the creature.

"I apologize for startling you, my Lady, but I assure you, you need not mourn for the Incubator." Woz said, the girl's eyeing him curiously. "Despite their harmless appearance, they are dangerous parasites who have no qualms with preying on the innocent and using them for their own ends. It would be wise to simply ignore their offers in the future." He warned.

"Wait, so there actually _was_ something there?" Sougo asked, practically begging for a proper explanation.

"Speaking of which, how were _you_ able to see him?" Sayaka said, eyeing the prophet suspiciously. "Kyubey said that boys shouldn't be able to."

"That may be true of the people of _this_ era, but that will change once my Lord ascends to the throne." Woz replied as he tampered with the device in his hand. He rotated the silver barrel of the laser weapon so that the whole object was perfectly straight, now taking on the appearance of what seemed to be a futuristic flip phone. "Speaking of which, would you please look this way, my Lord?" The prophet requested, holding up the futuristic phone as a light in the back began to glow.

"Huh?" Sougo did as he was told, looking towards Woz only to be blinded by a sudden flash of light that emanated from the back of the phone. "Ah! What the…?" To Madoka and Sayaka, it looked like an ordinary camera flash, and while it certainly felt like an ordinary camera flash to Sougo's overtaxed eyes, he could also feel a subtle tingling sensation in his irises that persisted for a short time even after the initial blindness cleared. Once his eyes had fully readjusted, they went wide in surprise, as Sougo could now see the viscera left behind by Kyubey's demise.

"With this, you should now be able to perceive the little monsters." Woz explained. "I would advise you, my Lord, not to allow them to approach your bride-to-be again."

"But… but he said that he could have helped us find Genius Gamer M." Madoka protested.

"Yeah! And now thanks to you, we're right back to square one on that front!" Sayaka added accusingly.

"If it is a lead in your search for the Another Rider that you seek, then you need not worry." Woz assured them with a knowing smile. "You are exactly where history dictates that you should be."

"Huh? What do you?"

"KYAAAAHHH!"

Sougo's inquiry was cut off by an abrupt scream echoing throughout the park. Without a moment's hesitation, the trio of teens rushed towards the source of the horrified scream. Descending a flight of stairs and turning a corner, they came across a familiar looking scene; the same Another Rider from the school rooftop, grabbing a young girl by the collar of her colorful hoodie and waving its monstrous hand over her panicking face. A moment later, the girl fell to the ground, unconscious, as the Another Rider loomed over her menacingly.

"The Another Rider!" Sougo exclaimed, Ziku-Driver already in hand as he dashed onto the scene. Unfortunately, the Another Rider wasted no time in fleeing, its body decomposing into a mist of pink pixels and disappearing into a dropped Play Pad. "Damn it!" The boy cursed, putting away the belt in frustration.

"Hello? Are you ok… please, hang on!" Madoka pleaded as she kneeled down next to the latest victim of the Another Rider.

"It's no good, this is just like last time." Sougo fretted, kneeling down beside Madoka.

"Indeed it is." Woz said, suddenly appearing on the other side of the victim, startling his charges. "She has fallen victim to the curse of the "Unbeatable Game" just like many before her have."

"Yeah, and just like last time the Another Rider got away. So much for that "lead" of yours." Sayaka said, crossing her arms indignantly and leering at the prophet.

"Forget about that, right now we need to get this girl to a hospital!" Sougo asserted, frantically searching his pockets for his cellphone.

"A hospital, was it?" Woz said knowingly as he stood from the victim's side and opened up the Oma Advent Calendar. "According to this book, you take this poor girl to Seito University Hospital for treatment."

"Seito… University Hospital?" Sougo repeated the name.

"Why there?" Sayaka asked.

"It is there that you shall find the answers that you seek." Woz replied before closing the book, Sayaka not at all happy with the cryptic answer.

The trio all traded concerned looks, looking between each other and the unconscious victim on the ground, her breathing shrill and irregular. Their choice was clear.

* * *

As the name implied, Seito University Hospital was a hospital that was closely affiliated with Tokyo's Seito University, a college that specialized in training pre-medical and medical students. As soon as Sougo and the girls came in through the front entrance, the unconscious victim in his arms, they were almost immediately swarmed by doctors and nurses, who asked them all questions about the patient's condition that they could only really give vague answers to. Eventually, they took the girl off of their hands and took her away on a stretcher, a nurse listing off the patient's vitals to a doctor.

"I hope she'll be ok." Madoka said.

"She will be, once we take care of the Another Rider." Sayaka asserted.

"Yeah, but… why come to _this_ hospital in particular?" Sougo pondered, looking around the busy hospital lobby. It was a rather prestigious hospital to be sure, but from what the doctors said, they weren't having any more luck treating this mysterious illness than anybody else, so why did it have to be _this_ particular hospital.

"That's exactly what I want to know."

Sougo was brought out of his thoughts by the hostile voice. The trio turned around and was met with the familiar, but rather unwelcomed sight of Myokoin Geiz, the time traveling assassin out for Sougo's life. Flanking the grim looking boy on either side was Homura and Mami, both girls equally as stone-faced as their ally as they approached the group. Much like Madoka and Sayaka, Mami and Homura were also sporting casual clothing; Mami wore a green, buttoned up sweater over a white blouse and paired with a frilly white skirt. Homura wore a one-piece purple dress over a white long sleeve shirt, her legs covered with a pair of black tights. Geiz, on the other hand, wore the same combat attire as the day before, sticking out like a sore thumb.

"Geiz!" Sougo said, unconsciously falling into a more defensive stance.

"The Transfer Student and the Third Year Student too!" Sayaka said as she through up her own messy looking guard, while Madoka took a reflexive step back.

"Calm down, I'm not going to go starting a fight in the middle of a hospital." Geiz assured, though the sour look never left his face.

"Oh… well, then why _are_ you here?" Sougo asked hesitantly, slowly relaxing his posture.

"The same reason you all are here, I presume." Mami answered, pulling out a Genm Play Pad of their own and showing off a familiar title screen.

"Ah! That's the cursed unbeatable game!" Sayaka exclaimed.

"So, you all are investigating the Another Rider too?" Madoka inquired.

"Of course we are." Geiz replied, crossing his arms and eyeing Sougo almost challengingly. "Even if we succeed in preventing you from rising to power, it'll all have been for nothing if an Another Rider just takes your place." He asserted.

"We were able to deduce the connection between the Another Rider and this game, but unfortunately, video games are somewhat outside of our realm of expertise. So we're seeking somebody who can help us in that regard." Mami explained

"Right… so why are you _here_ then, at a hospital?" Sayaka interrogated, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Well…" Mami began, stopping herself as she glanced over at Homura. The raven-haired girl met her hesitant gaze before letting out a sigh.

"This is the hospital I used to come to when I lived here in Tokyo." She reluctantly explained.

"Eh, really?" Madoka gasped in surprise.

"Oh yeah, I think you did mention living in Tokyo before transferring." Sougo recalled.

"While I was staying here, there was a doctor who would often visit the recovering child patients to play video games with us." Homura continued. "I remember him being very good at them too, there wasn't any game he couldn't beat. If anyone can beat this unbeatable game, I'm sure he can."

"As you can see, we've got this matter handled." Geiz said, taking a few steps forward to more directly confront Sougo. "There's no need for you to get involved." He said with a threatening air of finality.

"Huh, but…" Sougo's protests were immediately cut off.

"If you continue to use the power of Zi-O, then there will always be a chance that you will erase another Legend Rider from history, bringing you that much closer to becoming the Demon King." Geiz asserted, circling around the trio.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to do that this time." Sougo insisted.

"Oh? So how exactly do you plan to deal with the Another Rider then?" Geiz asked.

"Well, there's a little bit of a delay between when the Another Rider is created, and when the real Kamen Rider is erased from history. So, I was going to go back in time and help the real Rider defeat the Another Rider before they even get erased at all." Sougo explained the plan, conveniently leaving out the part where it had failed before with Build and Another Build.

"I see… but in that case, it doesn't have to be you that does it, right?" Geiz posited, catching Sougo off guard.

"Uh… well…"

"_I'll _do it, you just stay out of this. That is, if you really don't intend to become the Demon King." With that, Geiz began to take his leave, Homura and Mami about to follow his lead.

"I can't do that!" Sougo suddenly declared, stopping Geiz dead in his tracks.

"What?"

"The only reason the Another Riders are here is because the Time Jackers don't want me to become King. Like it or not, the Another Riders are _my_ responsibility, so I can't just stand by and do nothing while people are suffering because of me!" Sougo declared, meeting Geiz's scrutinizing gaze head on.

"Yeah, you tell him!" Sayaka said, Madoka nodding in agreement with an encouraging smile.

"Suffering… because of you?" Geiz growled, clenching his fists as he struggled in vain to rein in his rising fury. He closed the distance between him and Sougo in almost an instance; the boy's conviction evaporating in an instant as Geiz violently grabbed him by the collar and practically snarled in his face.

"**Nakazawa**-kun!" Madoka and Sayaka exclaimed, about to come to his aid. However, Homura cut them off with an arm, shooting them a look that silently told them to stay back.

"Myokoin-san, that's _enough_." Mami almost scolded as she stepped forward and affixed Geiz with a demanding stare. "Remember, we gave them our word." She reminded him, though that seemed to anger the boy even further.

Geiz never broke eye contact with Sougo, his nostrils flaring with each breath as he tried to convey all of his hatred and anger in his gaze alone.

"…You may have everyone else fooled, but _I_ know better. I know the kind of person you _really_ are… the _monster_ that you will become." Geiz snarled, Sougo's protests dying on his tongue when faced with the unbridled fury, hatred, and grief of his adversary.

"Excuse me, but what's going on over here?" A feminine voice inquired as two nurses confronted the group.

"…Nothing." Geiz lied as he reluctantly let go of Sougo's collar.

"Well it certainly doesn't _seem_ like nothing." The second nurse said about to scold what certainly must have seemed like just two teenage boys about to pick a fight in the middle of a hospital lobby. However, before anything else could be said, before the hastily made excuses could be made, Homura stepped forward and addressed the nurses.

"Please forgive us, our discussion just got a little heated, that's all." She said with an apologetic bow.

"Even so, please consider where you are in the… wait, Akemi-san, is that you?" The first nurse said, her stern face softening as she recognized the girl.

"Yes, I am." Homura confirmed with a polite smile. "It's been quite a while, hasn't it?"

"Oh my goodness, I almost didn't recognize you! My, how you've grown!" She cooed like a distant relative that hadn't seen her in a while.

"That's right, I heard that you were finally discharged recently. Congratulations, you seem to be doing well." The second nurse said.

"Thank you very much, I've very happy to see you two are doing fine as well." Homura returned to sentiment with the sweetest smile she could muster, which certainly seemed to be enough for the nurses.

"…Who the hell are _you_?" Sayaka said in sheer disbelief of the normally cold transfer student's uncharacteristic politeness, a jab that Homura ignored.

"Are these your friends, Akemi-san?" The second nurse asked curiously.

"Yes, we were in the area and, well, I suppose I got a little nostalgic." Homura lied, not missing a beat. "Speaking of which, is Dr. Hojo Emu around?"

"Huh? Emu?" Sougo said at the somewhat familiar sounding name.

"Oh, Dr. Emu? No, I'm afraid he hasn't made it in yet." The first nurse lamented.

"You know how he is, he probably stayed up all night playing those video games of his." The second nurse chided, earning a chuckle from the other.

"Dr. "M"…?" Madoka began.

"He loves games…" Sayaka added.

"…And is really good at them." Sougo said, the pieces falling into place. "No way, could he be…"

"**Genius Gamer M!?**" The three teens exclaimed in unison, coming to the same conclusion all together.

"What do you want with the pediatrician?"

The question was asked in a stern, almost disinterested voice, which made one wonder why the question was even asked in the first place. Regardless, the whole assembly turned their attention towards a coming procession of doctors. At the head, was a stern looking young doctor clad in the traditional white coat and a stethoscope draped over his shoulders. His appearance was neat and professional, his hair neatly combed, his black dress pants finely pressed, and his black shoes polished to a shine as he strode confidently down the hallway. When he stopped, the rest of the procession stopped as well, the doctor looking over the collection of teenagers with a critical eye.

"KYAAA! Dr. Kagami~!" The first nurse squealed in delight as she practically shoved Sougo and Sayaka out of the way of her view of the man.

"The genius surgeon, Dr. Kagami Hiiro… he's _soooo cooool~!_" The second nurse exclaimed as she grabbed Homura by the arm and shook her excitedly.

"Isn't he, Akemi-san!?" The first nurse said as she took the other arm, the grown women instead acting like a couple of squealing fan girls.

The man in question was noticeably irritated, stopping short of rolling his eyes at the nurses' antics. Having lost all interest, Dr. Kagami Hiiro strode passed the group, leading the following doctors deeper into the hospital. It certainly made for a striking sight, like a group of stone-faced soldiers about to go off into battle, which just made it harder to press the issue as their purposeful footsteps echoed all across the hall. Eventually, however, it was Madoka of all people who was the first to speak up.

"W-Wait! We're here to ask Dr. Emu for help… with a game that can't be cleared!"

Suddenly, the procession stopped dead in its tracks, the last footstep echoing out louder than all the rest.

"…What?" Hiiro said with his stoic voice laced with shock and intrigue. The doctor turned around, his colleagues parting like the read sea to give the renowned surgeon a clear view. Madoka couldn't help but squirm from the sudden attention, but continued anyway.

"W-Well, we think that this game might have something to do with… all of those patients that have been coming down with a strange illness recently, so… um…" The pinkette struggled to elaborate, fidgeting with the latest victim's Play Pad.

It was about halfway through the explanation that she realized just how ridiculous the whole thing sounded, but rather than scoff and turn her away, the genius doctor actually gave her a pensive look before looking over the rest of her companions.

"…Follow me." He ordered simply, not even waiting for a reply before turning around and continuing down the hallway.

"Eh? O-Ok!" Madoka stammered before she, Sougo, and Sayaka made to follow him. Geiz, Homura, and Mami all traded conflicted glances before eventually deciding to follow as well.

The group was guided throughout the hospital to a certain examination ward, Hiiro bringing them into a particular room currently occupied by young girls, all tucked into hospital beds with oxygen masks over their faces. The only signs of life were their subtly rising chests from their breaths, and the rhythmic beeping of the heart monitors.

"Our hospital has multiple patients with this condition, but we still can't find the cause." Hiiro said. "The pediatrician was researching the cases, and found a single connection between all of the victims; they were all playing this "unbeatable game" right before they fell ill." He explained.

"I see, so it really _is_ the game that's causing it." Sougo said, looking down at his schoolmate's Play Pad ominously.

"The pediatrician certainly seemed to think so." Hiiro continued. "Personally, I find the notion rather hard to believe, but with no other leads, the pediatrician decided it was worth looking into, and so he played the game."

"…And now he's missing." Homura said, a hint of concern in her voice.

"Oh no, do you think something happened to him!?" Madoka dreaded.

"Of course not." Hiiro quickly shot down the girls' worries. "He cleared the game in a single afternoon, and he didn't so much as come down with a head cold."

"What!?" Sougo exclaimed in confusion.

"He beat it in an _afternoon!?_" Sayaka exclaimed incredulously. "Wow, he really must be Genius Gamer M!"

"But, if he beat it and survived… does that mean it _isn't_ the game causing the illness?" Mami posited from this new piece of evidence.

"A dead end." Homura lamented.

"Indeed, I had thought the matter settled as well, but the pediatrician insisted that there must have been some kind of connection." Hiiro said. "Knowing him, he most certainly would have continued fiddling with that game on his own time."

"So bottom line, this "Hojo Emu" might know what's really going on here with this cursed game and the mysterious illness." Geiz finally chimed in, stepping forward to grab Hiiro's attention.

"It's possible." The doctor replied.

"But, those nurses were saying that Dr. Hojo was absent today." Sougo recalled. "How are we going to ask him?"

"…Follow me." Hiiro instructed, once again guiding the teens to another part of the hospital.

This time, they were brought to an office space in the pediatrics department, desks neatly arranged together in four groups of four all across the long room. Each one was covered in notes and equipment of the various doctors that worked in the ward, but Hiiro guided them to one in particular. Unlike most of the rather plain looking desks, this workspace was personalized with various Genm Corp memorabilia, most notably a plushy of the Mighty character from the company's flagship title, Mighty Action X. There was also the familiar sight of a Play Pad lying on the desk, with a pink sticky note attached to the screen.

"The pediatrician left this note here before he went missing." Hiiro elaborated as he removed the sticky note from the Play Pad. "…It might be a clue for that game." The doctor suggested. Sougo extended his hand to receive the clue, but much to everyone's surprise, Hiiro instead approached Geiz. "Will this help?"

"Huh? You're giving it to us?" Geiz inquired as he took the note.

"To be frank, I don't think anything will come from exploring this avenue, but… for some reason, I feel like I should try and help you." Hiiro replied, clearly unsure of his own motives himself.

"Great, thanks doc!" Sayaka chimed in as she swiped the note away from Geiz and made a break for it.

"What the… Hey!" Geiz shouted as he ran after her, followed frantically by the rest of the girls. Hiiro watched the display with a stoic expression, before he was approached by Sougo, who gave him a polite bow.

"Thank you. We'll… definitely figure this out!" The boy declared before chasing after his comrades, leaving a rather puzzled Hiiro in his wake.

* * *

"Oon-ten, oon-ten… oh-ben… oh-ben?" Sougo struggled to pronounce the words written on the pink sticky note, sat on a bench in the hospital courtyard. "R-Rhe… Retch?"

"The heck kind of language is this?" Sayaka said, sat on his right.

"It's not… English, right?" Madoka pondered, sat on Sougo's left.

"I don't believe so." Mami replied, leaning in over Sougo's right shoulder.

"It does sound vaguely familiar though." Homura admitted, standing over Sougo's left shoulder.

"Will you two beat it already! What happened to investigating on your own?" Sayaka asked irritably.

"Need I remind you that _you_ stole this clue from _us_?" Homura rebuked, the blunette leering at her.

"Besides, if you three really don't intend on leaving this matter alone, then it's in everyone's best interest if we keep an eye on you, in order to ensure that you don't repeat your previous mistakes." Mami added, Sayaka huffing indignantly.

"I-It's ok, Sayaka-chan, if we work together, than we're sure to figure this all out much quicker, right?" Madoka said diplomatically.

"It's too bad none of us have any idea what language this note is supposed to be written in." Sougo lamented.

"It's German." Geiz said, the boy brooding by himself a few paces away from the rest of the group.

"German?" Sougo said quizzically.

"Why German?" Mami inquired.

"For a long time, Japanese medicine used German terminology, though that's a bit rare to see in this era." Geiz explained walking over to the group with his arms crossed.

"I see, fascinating." Mami said.

"Give it." Geiz said as she snatched the pink note back from Sougo. He ignored the petty protests from Sayaka as he read aloud. "_Unten, unten, oben, oben, rechts, links, rechts, links._"

"Wow, you even have a good ascent!" Madoka said, wholeheartedly impressed. "But, what does it mean?"

"Down, down, up, up, right, left, right, left." Geiz translated.

"What is that, directions?" Mami suggested.

"No… they're cheat code inputs!" Sougo exclaimed in realization. He then pulled out the Play Pad, switching it on and running the game inside.

"Down, down, up, up…" Geiz read.

"Down, down, up, up…" Sougo repeated as he entered in the inputs.

"Right, left, right, left…"

"Right, left, right, left…"

"Then you press all the buttons at once."

With that final instruction, Sougo pushed down the buttons, the joystick, and the shoulder buttons all at the same time, causing the game screen to stop scrolling and multiple glitches to appear on screen.

"Oh no, w-what did we do?" Madoka said frantically.

"Did we crash it?" Sayaka suggested.

"No, I think we found something." Sougo said as the screen began to glow a bright pink. "Alright, let's give this thing another shot!"

Suddenly, the pink light flashed in their faces, blinding everyone momentarily, but as their vision returned to them, they saw the very world around them begin to pixelate and slowly change form. The buildings, the trees, the grass… even the bench where they sat faded away right before their eyes.

"**WHA!**" Sougo and his classmates cried as their seat vanished from under them. Sougo and Sayaka fell onto the now suddenly concrete floor, while Madoka found herself held aloft in Homura's arms.

"Are you alright, Kaname Madoka?" Homura asked as she held the pinkette steady.

"Y-Yes, thank you Homura-chan." Madoka thanked as she righted herself.

"_We're_ fine too, thanks for asking." Sayaka sarcastically snapped as she and Sougo fumbled back onto their feet.

"Where are we?" Mami inquired, looking around at her new surroundings. The group had found themselves inside what seemed to be a storage facility of some kind, illuminated by dim lights overhead and mostly empty save for numerous stacks of forklift pallets.

"I think we're… inside the game." Sougo said, finding large chocolate blocks, identical to the ones found in the game, scattered throughout the warehouse.

"Games are like any other computer program, they can have backdoors." Geiz asserted. "This is probably what that doctor friend of yours was trying to look for." He said to Homura.

"I see." Homura replied.

"Awesome! So the next time the Another Rider hops in here, we'll have it right where we want it!" Sayaka declared with a confident smile, slamming her fist into her palm as if preparing for battle herself.

"…It seems we won't have to wait very long." Homura said looking passed the excitable blunette.

"Huh?"

The rest of the group followed her gaze across the warehouse. Standing there, illuminated by the natural sunlight from the open double doors, was the monstrous form of the Another Rider, knees bent and claws brandish in a bestial stance as it growled at its unwelcomed guests.

"The Another Rider!" Sougo exclaimed.

"Speak of the devil." Geiz said, stepping forward and removing the Geiz Ridewatch from its holder on his wrist.

"Myokoin-san, should we…" Mami began, the ring on her finger glowing with yellow light as she prepared to step into the fray with him.

"No, this is just a warm up, no need for you two to waste your magic here." Geiz asserted. Mami looked reluctant, but eventually gave an understanding nod and stepped back with Homura.

"That's right, even if you fight it here, without the power of the Legend Rider..." Madoka spoke up apprehensively.

"Yeah, I know." Sougo admitted before stepping forward himself. "But even if I can't defeat it, I have to at least try and slow it down." He declared before he and Geiz strapped on their Ziku-Drivers.

"_Ziku-Driver!_" The belt announced. Sougo then brought out the Zi-O Ridewatch, he and Geiz turning the dials on the watches and hitting the switches.

"_Geiz!_"

"_Zi-O!_"

They slid the watches onto their respective Drivers, the analog and digital clock faces projecting behind them as they hit the button on top and posed dynamically together.

"Henshin!" Sougo shouted as he flicked his wrists.

"Henshin!" Geiz echoed as he grasped the slots on the belt.

"_Rider Time! Kamen Ri~der Geiz!/Kamen Rider Zi-O!"_ The two Drives sang together as they were spun back into place. The girls watched as the power suits formed around them, the projected pink and yellow letters flying all around before snapping into place on their visors.

With a loud, ferocious battle cry, the Another Rider charged forward, the Riders putting up their guard and rushing in as well. The Another Rider ducked under Zi-O's first swing before blocking the two punches that Geiz followed up with. The creature then landed a front kick to Geiz chest, a colorful "HIT" graphic appearing from the impact, and sending the Rider staggering back. However, before the Another Rider could capitalize on the opening, Zi-O retaliated with a roundhouse kick to the back of its head, dazing it and allowing him to move back in with a flurry of blows. He managed to land two more punches before the third was caught by the Another Rider, allowing it to hold him in place as the monster lifted its leg and kicked Zi-O right in the face, the force of the attack sending him tumbling to the ground.

Just as the Another Rider was about to continue its onslaught, Geiz dashed back into the fray and landed a roundhouse kick into the creature's gut. It wretched forward from the hit, allowing Geiz to chamber his extended leg and kick the Another Rider in its exposed face, making it stagger back. Shaking off the pain, the Another Rider came at Geiz and swung wildly at him, the Rider bobbing and weaving through the chaotic flurry before blocking a straight punch that the Another Rider staggered through, ending up on the other side of Geiz. Just as the creature reoriented itself, Geiz slipped into its guard and landed a jab-punch combination that made the Another Rider stagger back some more. He followed up with another punch, only for the Another Rider to catch the arm in both hands with a vice like grip.

However, before the Another Rider could retaliate, Zi-O rushed in and landed a powerful punch straight into the creature's exposed torso, forcing it to release the other Rider's arm as it brought down its own arms instinctively to protect its gut. This Geiz wasted no time uppercutting the Another Rider right in the chin, dazing the creature and allowing him and Zi-O to land simultaneous sidekicks on its chest, sending the creature flying back across the warehouse.

"Yeah, let him have it!" Sayaka nebulously cheered as the Another Rider tumbled onto the ground.

"They're fighting really well together." Madoka observed happily, looking back at Mami and Homura expectantly.

"It's not over yet." Homura replied, bringing Madoka's attention back to the fight.

The Another Rider growled as it got back onto its feet, briefly snarling at the approaching Kamen Riders before kicking apart a nearby chocolate block. Zi-O and Geiz were pelted by the cubical pieces of chocolate, covering their bodies in "HIT" graphics, stalling them and allowing the Another Rider to hop back into the fray… literally. With a mighty leap, it closed the distance between itself and the Riders in an instant, landing a punch on each one of them that made them stagger back. The creature then went for Geiz, kicking the off balanced Rider in the chest and making him tumble to the ground, giving Zi-O the chance to regain his composure and retaliate. Zi-O and the Another Rider briefly traded blows with each other, Geiz quickly recovering and joining the scuffle as well.

However, just as both Riders were about to throw a duo of powerful punches together, the Another Rider jumped into the air, completely avoiding the strikes and landing on a chocolate block floating above them. The Another Rider then pounced back at them, the Riders separating to avoid the attack, but just as they moved in to reengage with the creature, it jumped over them, kicking them both as it soared overhead and landed on a chocolate block that spontaneously materialized under it in a flash of pixels.

"Grr, you little…" Geiz cursed under his breath before he summoned a pair of yellow letters from his Ziku Driver.

"_Zikan Zax! Yu-mi!_" The weapon announced as the mechanical bow materialized in Geiz's hand.

He took aim and shot a yellow energy arrow at the Another Rider, only for it to evade the attack by hopping onto another nearby chocolate block. The arrow hit the previous purchase of its target, the block bursting open and revealing what seemed to be a power up item from the game, a coin shaped collectable known as an Energy Item. Geiz fired twice more, bursting open another block as the Another Rider dodged, and then a third block, revealing a second Energy Item. Geiz then pulled back and held the lever on his weapon, charging the tip of the bow with yellow energy for a final strike. The Another Rider looked between the two Energy Items that were revealed, eventually leaping towards the first one, a dark violet medal that depicted an arrow shaped projectile bouncing off of a humanoid silhouette's chest.

"_Reflect!_" The creature monstrously announced as it absorbed the Energy Item and landed back on the ground. Once Geiz let go of the lever, sending a volley of arrows towards the Another Rider, the creature released the power from the item it collected, generating a transparent shield that reflected the projectiles right back at the Riders. The "HIT" graphics became "GREAT" as the Riders were pelted by their own attack, sending them tumbling to the ground.

"Oh no!" Madoka cried.

"As expected of a monster that lurks inside a video game, it knows all of the tricks." Sayaka lamented.

"Ugh… pretty nimble aren't you?" Zi-O said as he slowly regained his footing. The creature growled in response, the guttural sound clearly being a challenge. "Well, two can play at that game." Zi-O declared, removing the Build Ridewatch from its slot on his wrist, turning the dial, and hitting the switch.

"_Build!_" The watch announced before Zi-O slid it into the left hand slot of the Ziku Driver. The standby jingle played as the spinning clocks on the screen flashed between red and blue, Zi-O hitting the button on top and then spinning it back into place.

"_Rider Time! Kamen Rider Zi-O!_" The Driver sang as the BuildArmor materialized in front of Zi-O. With a hefty kick, the armor pieces blew apart and bombarded the unsuspecting Another Rider, before flying back around and attaching themselves to Zi-O's suit. "_Armor Time! …Best Match! Build!_" The Driver resumed, the letters snapping into place on the visor.

"Build…" Homura said.

"So it's true, he really did steal the power of Build." Mami lamented, looking over the armor clearly made in homage to Kamen Rider Build.

"Alright, let's give this another shot!" Zi-O said before charging back into the fray.

The drill on his wrist spun as he swung it at the Another Rider, only for the creature to leap over the weapon up onto a floating chocolate block. However, at the very second that the Another Rider landed, Zi-O leaned all of his weight on his left foot, a red projection of a spring compressing around his ankle before launching him up into the air. The Another Rider gasped in surprise, but quickly managed to hop onto a different block, narrowly avoiding the Drill Crusher Crusher's second swing. The Another Rider then attempted to jump onto a third block, presumably to get a better angle for which to retaliate, but as it flew through the air, halfway to the block, Zi-O leaped up and met the Another Rider in the air. The rotating head of the Drill Crusher Crusher grinded against the Another Rider's chest, sparks arcing off of the wound before the monster fell out of the air and onto a stack of pallets.

The Another Rider quickly hopped back onto its feet, just in time to leap out of the way of Zi-O's follow up attack and summon a chocolate block for it to land on. Zi-O wasted no time jumping up towards the creature's new perch, only for the Another Rider to hop away again, kicking the Drill Crusher Crusher away as it flew passed. However, instead of landing on a the nearby chocolate block in its flight path, it bounced off of it, flying back towards Zi-O to finally retaliate. Unfortunately, Zi-O was ready for it, lifting up his right leg as a blue projection of a tank's treads appeared over the sole of his boot and ground into the Another Rider's chest. The force of the impact, equivalent to the force of a rolling tank, sent the Another Rider crashing into the ground.

"…Incredible, with the power of a Legend Rider, he was instantly able to turn the tables." Geiz observed. He then looked back down at his Ridewatch holder, eyes falling on the Cross-Z Ridewatch that was offered to him by Zi-O. He looked between the peace offering of his mortal enemy, and the Another Rider staggering back onto its feet. "Tch, guess I have no choice." He swore under his breath as he removed the Ridewatch, turned the dial and activated it.

"_Cross-Z!_" The watch announced, projecting an image of Kamen Rider Cross-Z's faceplate. He then slid the device into the right hand slot of the Ziku Driver, a blue colored binary sequence scrolling across the screen as the standby jingle played. Geiz slammed his fist down on the top button, grabbed the belt by the slots, and spun the Driver.

"_Rider Time! Kamen Ri~der Geiz!_" The Driver sang as it locked back into place.

The Cross-Z Ridewatch then projected a set of yellow letters that spelled out "_Cross-Z_" in Hiragana (くろーず) before a set of armor materialized within a transparent projection of what seemed to be the Cross-Z Dragon. The armor pieces were black and glossy, matching the coloring of Geiz's watchstrap, which on the armor extended down from a chest plate that resembled Cross-Z own chest armor. The shoulder pieces were shaped like the Cross-Z Dragon with a blue Fullbottle inserted, and the helmet retained Cross-Z's silver mouth piece and golden, dragon shaped head crest. Geiz then charged forward, the armor breaking apart and following him as it aligned perfectly with Geiz's moving body, before one by one snapping into place.

"_Armor Time! …Wake Up Burning! Cross-Z!_" The Driver sang as Geiz's fist, coated in blue flame, collided with the Another Rider, sending it flying back before the Hiragana letters fell into place on Geiz's visor.

"Wow, is that…?" Madoka said in amazement at the Rider's transformation.

"Kamen Rider Geiz… Cross-ZArmor, right?" Sayaka christened the new form as Geiz took the chance to recover his discarded weapon.

"_O-no!_" The Zikan Zaxe announced as Geiz switched it to Axe Mode. Just as the Another Rider recovered from the punch, Geiz was already upon it, landing a horizontal slash on the creature, the axe blade wreathed in blue flames, and following up with a powerful downward slash. The Another Rider felt every hit, shrieking in pain as the flames licked at its wounds, and decided that retreat was the best option. It leaped over a spinning crescent kick from Geiz, intending to land on a chocolate block overhead, but before it could land, Zi-O leaped down from its own perch and stabbed the Another Rider back down to the ground with his drill.

As soon as the monster hit the ground, Geiz came down on it with the Zikan Zaxe, the blade cracking the pavement as the Another Rider rolled out of the way. However, as soon as it got back on its feet, Geiz threw a flaming side kick right into its chest, the Another Rider stumbling back, trying to stay on its feet, and allowing Geiz to move in and knock it back into the air with a powerful upward swing of his axe. Before it even reached the apex of its climb, Zi-O came back around and knocked it back onto the floor once again, the Another Rider's armor still smoking from the onslaught of attacks as it struggled painfully to get back onto its feet.

"Alright, time to end this." Geiz asserted as he switched the Zikan Zaxe back into Bow Mode. He then removed the Cross-Z Ridewatch from the Ziku Driver and placed it in the slot on the Zikan Zaxe.

"_Finish Time!_" The weapon announced, Geiz pulling back on the lever as it charged with blue energy from the Ridewatch.

"_Finish Time! Build!_" Zi-O's Driver announced as he pressed the buttons on the slotted Ridewatches, preparing for his own finisher. Just as the Another Rider got back on its feet, Geiz released the lever before it had time to react.

"_Cross-Z Giwa Giwa Shoot!_" The Zikan Zaxe announced, as out from the tip of the bow came not an arrow, but a serpentine dragon comprised entirely of blue flames. The Dragon collided with the Another Rider, sending it up into the air where it was caught in between the segmented rail of Zi-O's finisher.

"_Vortex Time Break!_" The Driver announced as Zi-O spun it back into place. He road the rail down to the Another Rider, the Drill Crusher Crusher spinning with blue and red energy as he impaled the Another Rider with it as he slid by. Finally, as the Another Rider was released from the rail, the flaming dragon came back around and clamped down on the monster with its gaping jaws, the Another Rider screaming in agony as it was engulfed in a powerful explosion.

Out from the plume of smoke, a lone figure fell onto the ground, letting out a pained cry as they rolled to a stop across the warehouse.

"What the…" Geiz gasped in surprise as he lowered his weapon.

"Huh?" Zi-O said curiously as he landed next the other Rider. He followed Geiz's gaze, the eyes behind his mask falling upon what seemed to be… a young schoolgirl, wincing as she struggled to sit up.

She looked nervously up at the group from across the warehouse, allowing them to get a good look at her. She was of a petit build, looking no older than the rest of them, with long pink hair that was tied off about a third of the way down her back. She wore a very distinct school uniform, consisting of a red collared, short-sleeved sailor top over what seemed to be a black, long-sleeved under shirt, paired with a bright red plaid skirt and black knee-high socks.

"Is that… a girl?" Zi-O said in astonishment.

"Where did _she _come from?" Sayaka said quizzically.

"Could she be… another one of the victims?" Madoka suggested.

"I doubt it." Homura denied, she and Mami already having a good idea of the situation at hand.

The girl frightfully scooted away from the Riders, reaching into her pockets for something and looking rather distraught when she didn't find it.

"Huh… no… no, no, no, where is it!?" She said as she frantically searched the ground for whatever it was she was so desperate to find. Eventually, her eyes fell on a discarded Ridewatch, lying on the ground across the warehouse, but just as she stood up to go retrieve it, Geiz had already beat her to it, taking it in his gloved hand.

"So, this is your Anotherwatch, huh?" He said, examining the small, corrupted device.

"Anotherwatch?" Madoka said in confusion.

"Wait, are you saying that that girl is…" Sayaka began to realize.

"That's right… _she's _the host of the Another Rider." Geiz confirmed, holding the watch up to compare the gruesome of face of the Another Rider depicted on the Anotherwatch to the harmless looking face of the girl.

"Whoa, seriously… no way…" Zi-O said, looking between the two contrasting images in utter disbelief.

"P-Please give that back!?" The girl asked, surprisingly polite. "It's… something very important, I _need_ it!" She pleaded, looking more and more like the anxious young lady she was, rather than the monster that had tried to kill them just moments before.

"Why should I?" Geiz immediately replied, the venom in his voice making the girl flinch. "So that you can keep hurting innocent people? So that you can one day sit on the Demon King's throne!?"

"Demon King… what are you…?" The girl stammered in confusion.

"Well forget it, there's no way you're getting this watch back!" Geiz declared before throwing the Anotherwatch into the air. The girl was surprised by the sudden action, but that confusion quickly turned to horror as she watched Geiz rear back the Zikan Zaxe, the blade coated in blue flame.

"No, please don't…!" But her pleas fell on deaf ears as Geiz swung his weapon and cleaved through the Anotherwatch… or so was his intention, but despite the raw destructive power of the strike, all the blade did was scratch the surface of the device, sparks arcing off of it from the damage, but remaining perfectly in tact for the most part.

The same, however, could not be said for the watch's owner. As soon as the flaming blade made contact with the watch, the girl let out an agonizing scream, falling to the ground as a burst of indescribable pain shot through her.

"Whoa! Uh, h-hey, are you ok?" Zi-O asked hesitantly, prepared to come to her aid. Meanwhile, Geiz caught the Anotherwatch in his free hand, looking over the device, as it seemed to repair what little damage he managed to inflict on it right before his eyes.

"What the…" Curious, he tightened his grip around the watch, squeezing with enough force that he felt should have been able to crush it, yet it remained perfectly in tact in the palm of his hand. Meanwhile, the girl began writhing in pain on the ground, clutching her chest as tears began to form in the corner of her eyes.

"Ugh… squeezing… crushing… it hurts!" The girl stammered through the pain.

"Crushing… wait, it can't be." Zi-O said in realization, looking back at Geiz as he continued applying pressure to the Anotherwatch.

"Could it be that she's… feeling the pain from the watch?" Mami deduced, the hypothesis confirmed as the girl's writhing ceased as Geiz softened his grip. He then looked down at the watch, the damage from the squeezing repairing itself just like before.

"…Tch, so we're not gonna be able to brute force this after all." He lamented, looking back at the girl as she tried to catch her breath.

"That's enough."

The sudden, unfamiliar voice caught everybody's attention, as a man clad in a pristine white doctor's coat stepped out into view, standing between the Riders and the incapacitated girl.

"Huh? Who are…?" Zi-O said quizzically, looking over the new arrival. He was a tall man with neatly combed black hair, and in addition to his white coat, he wore a pair of blue jeans, a bright pink shirt with an array of white binary code written across it, and a pair of mismatched high top shoes, one with a red checkered pattern on the right foot, and one with a blue checkered pattern on the left foot. A stethoscope hung around his shoulders, and hanging from the breast pocket of his coat was a hospital id card.

"I'm surprised, I didn't think anybody else would be able to find the backdoor." The man said, looking away from the group pensively. "I see… so you saw the note I left behind."

"Note… wait, then does that mean that you're…" Mami began, looking over to Homura for confirmation.

"Yes… this is Hojo Emu." Homura said, fully recognizing the young doctor even before he finally turned to face the group.

"Genius Gamer… M." Zi-O said as he looked upon the man that they had all been searching for.

Emu remained stoic in the face of their recognition, silently pulling out a strange looking neon green device with a massive pink lever attached to the front of it. He then strapped it on, a belt strap materializing in a flash of pixels and wrapping around Emu's waist, revealing the device to be a Driver.

"I'm sorry, but… this is as far as you go." Emu said threateningly as he pulled out what seemed to be an advanced pink game cartridge, the label showing the game to be Mighty Action X. He then hit a black switch in the back of it, the transparent circuit board on top flashing with pink light.

"_Mighty Action X!_" The cartridge announced as it was activated. A projection of the Mighty Action X start screen appeared behind Emu as a wave of pink pixelated energy expanded all throughout the warehouse.

"Dai-Henshin!" Emu cried as he swung the cartridge around in a dynamic pose. He then switched the device over to his other hand and slid the cartridge into the center most slot on the belt.

"_Gashatto! Gachan! Level Up!_" The Driver announced as Emu pulled the pink lever open, revealing the center screen. The Driver then projected a life size version of the image on the screen, as well as a ring of icons that orbited around Emu. He selected one of the icons, depicted a cartoonish character with spiked up pink hair similar to the Mighty character from the game, the rest of the images falling away and Emu's body slowly being covered in pixels.

"_Mighty Jump! Mighty Kick! Mighty, Mighty Action X!_" The Driver sang as the icon and screen projection both fused with Emu, transforming the pixels into a power suit. The group all looked in awe at the doctor's surprising transformation; Emu standing tall in a neon pink body suit with black lines running down either side of his body. He had a grey chest plate that resembled an old school game controller, with what seemed to be a life bar displayed on the left hand side, and his helmet resembled a more humanoid version of the Mighty character, right down to the wild, spiked up hair. Overall, Emu had transformed into a more pristine version of the Another Rider.

"Dr. Hojo?" Homura said in utter disbelief.

"Dr. Emu is… a Legend Rider?" Madoka said with equal astonishment.

Even the girl that owned the Anotherwatch was surprised, looking up with wide eyes at the familiar looking masked hero that stood protectively over her.

"Kamen Rider… Ex-Aid." She said, recognizing the Rider as the source of her power.

Recognizing a fight when he saw one, Geiz placed the Ex-Aid Anotherwatch in one of the empty slots on his Ridewatch Holder, and the moment it snapped into place, Ex-Aid charged in, attacking the heroes that were attempting to protect his place in history.

* * *

**A/N: So yeah, we finally get to see how the dynamics of the PMMM cast have changed with Homura and Mami siding with Geiz. As anyone who has played/watched Magia Record would know, Mami's paragon levels of righteousness can come off as rather abrasive when it's pointed at the protagonists, and with her siding with Geiz against Sougo, Madoka and Sayaka now see her as a dangerous enemy rather than a reliable senpai. The implications of this shift will become more apparent in later arcs, when Kyubey really starts pushing the Magical Girl pitch. **

**This change in dynamic also showcases why I like to retain the japanese honorifics in the character's speech patterns, since they reveal a lot about how the characters view each other. For example, in the original anime, Madoka and Sayaka refer to Mami as "Mami-san", using her first name to denote a sense of closeness, but adding the standardly formal "-san" to show that they still hold a certain level of respect for her as an authority figure. Meanwhile, in this story, Sougo refers to Mami as "Tomoe-senpai", since as an average middle school student, he's incline to refer to his upperclassman in the most standard way, even if she has it out for him. Also, Sayaka now refers to her as simply "The Third Year Student", similar to how she always refers to Homura as "The Transfer Student", showing how little respect she has for either of them. **

**We also get a slight glimpse into Homura's life before moving to Mitakihara. Seeing as she has such little social experience, I think it's safe to assume that she was in and out of hospitals her whole life, and she just so happened to attend Seito University Hospital for those various check ups while living in Tokyo.**

**Anyway, that's about it for this chapter, the next update will, of course, be the Omake for this chapter, and after that we'll get the second half of the Ex-Aid Tribute Arc, so stay tuned!**


	6. Omake 3: The Pink Gamers

**A/N: Welp, here's the next Omake, enjoy!**

* * *

**Omake 3: The Pink Gamers**

SETTING: Warehouse within the "Unbeatable Game"

(Akemi Homura and Hojo Emu stand alone in the warehouse as Homura begins reading her script)

HOMURA: "After the defeat of Another Ex-Aid, Hojo Emu suddenly appeared before us, transformed into Ex-Aid Level 2, and attacked us. What could his true motives be?" Homura wondered anxiously… I must say though, I'm rather surprised that you turned out to be a Legend Rider, Dr. Hojo.

EMU: Well, you did end up transferring to a different hospital before the whole thing with the Bugster Virus went public, not to mention history being altered and such.

HOMURA: …I suppose so.

(Kaname Madoka walks into the shot)

MADOKA: Still, to think that Homura-chan was already acquainted with a Legend Rider! Hey, hey, Dr. Emu, what was Homura-chan like when she was attending Seito University Hospital?

HOMURA: E-Eh!? Kaname Madoka, what are you…?

EMU: Well, she sure has changed a lot since back then. For starters, her image was totally different; she wore glasses, and tied her hair up in braids.

HOMURA: Hey, wait, you can't just…

EMU: Not to mention her demeanor. The Homura-chan I remember was a lot more timid and frail, she was always too afraid to play with the other kids, and she got embarrassed pretty easily.

MADOKA: Wow, really?

(Homura hides here face behind her script in embarrassment, before pulling away to reveal Moemura)

MOEMURA: P-Please stop, this is embarrassing!

EMU: See, just like that.

MADOKA: Wha~, so cute!

(Myokoin Geiz walks into frame)

GEIZ: With the time frame and hospital setting of the Ex-Aid series, and Homura's history of poor health, it looks like the Author wanted to take the opportunity to expand a little bit on Homura's life before the events of the series.

(Moemura hides back behind her script, reverting back to Homura)

HOMURA: S-Still, that doesn't give anyone the right to go digging around in my dark past.

MADOKA: *giggle* Sorry, Homura-chan.

(Nakazawa Sougo walks into frame)

SOUGO: Speaking of Author-san's decisions, when we defeated Another Ex-Aid, a girl came out. Does that mean humans transform into Another Riders?

EMU: Is that really so surprising, it was like that in the original series too, wasn't it?

SOUGO: Well, yeah, but in the show, the host of Another Ex-Aid was an adult man, not a schoolgirl. Author-san usually doesn't change things from canon unless there's a specific reason, so I'm just wondering what that reason could be.

(Tamaki Iroha walks into frame)

IROHA: Perhaps I can explain.

MADOKA: Ah, it's Iroha-chan!

IROHA: It's nice to see you again, Madoka-chan.

SOUGO: Eh? You two know each other?

MADOKA: Of course! This is Tamaki Iroha, the protagonist of the mobile game "Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story"!

(Madoka shows her script to the camera, revealing a promotional image of the game)

SOUGO: Whoa! So she's the star of one of the spin offs!?

HOMURA: That's right. I heard that she would be guest staring this arc, but I was surprised to see her cast as the villain.

IROHA: I was rather surprised as well, but when Author-san explained why he thought I would be a good fit for the role, I figured I could give it a try.

HOMURA: Is that so?

EMU: Then, what were Author-san's reasons for casting you?

IROHA: Well, first of all, one of Author-san's favorite parts about writing crossover stories like this is changing and reinterpreting the lore of both series in order to get them to fit together into the same universe. One of the ways he did this for Horae Magica was using Magical Girls from the various Madoka Magica spin offs as the hosts of the Another Riders.

SOUGO: Eh, really!?

MADOKA: Then, one of those Magical Girls we saved at the end of Chapter 2 was actually the host of Another Build!?

IROHA: That's right, it was the Magical Girl first introduced in the Rebellion movie, Momoe Nagisa.

MADOKA: Nagisa-chan!?

EMU: By the way, is it really ok to discuss plot points that the characters haven't yet learned about in the story proper?

GEIZ: Don't worry about that. After all, everything in these Omakes is non-canon anyway.

EMU: I see…

IROHA: Nagisa-chan is one of the most recognizable Magical Girls outside of the Holy Quintet, so Author-san decided to use her as the host of Another Build in order to more easily introduce the trend to the readers.

SOUGO: I see, so he chose Tamaki-san as the host of Another Ex-Aid because you're also very recognizable, as the protagonist of one of the big name spin offs.

IROHA: Well, that's certainly part of it, but there's more to it than that.

MADOKA: Eh, really?

HOMURA: Such as?

IROHA: Do you all remember what spin off I'm from?

SOUGO: Huh? Uh, it was… Magia Record, right?

EMU: A mobile game… that's it…

EVERYONE: YOU'RE A VIDEO GAME CHARACTER!

IROHA: That's right! Even though it's a spin off of an anime, since I was first introduced in a mobile game, I'm technically a video game character.

(Iroha shows her script to the camera, revealing a drawing of a Magia Record Rider Gashat with Iroha on the label on one page, and the words "#Iroha4Smash" on the other)

IROHA: While it's true that most of the other Another Rider hosts will be taken from Magia Record as well, as the protagonist I was chosen to represent the game as a whole for the Ex-Aid Tribute Arc. Even the title of the cursed game, "Mighty Action R", is a reference to this, the "R" of course standing for "Record".

EMU: I see, I suppose it's only natural that Author-san would use a video game character for the tribute arc of the Kamen Rider that uses the power of video games.

IROHA: Not only that, but my character motivations also line up perfectly with Another Ex-Aid, but for that, you're just going to have to read the next chapter.

MADOKA: Wow! Author-san really does put in a lot of thought for this story!

HOMURA: Well… where it really counts at least.

SOUGO: Hmm… oh, I think I just figured something out! You're color scheme's match as well!

IROHA: Eh?

EMU: Our color schemes?

SOUGO: Yeah, you're both pink!

(Sougo shows his script to the camera, revealing a side-by-side comparison of Ex-Aid and Iroha that points out all of the pink in their character designs)

MADOKA: Ah, it's true; you're both pink heroes!

IROHA: W-Well, that's true, but I don't think…

SOUGO: Oh, come to think of it, Kaname-san is also a pink character as well!

MADOKA: Nakazawa-kun too! The letters on Zi-O's visor are pink!

(Madoka shows her script to the camera, revealing a side-by-side comparison of Zi-O and Madoka that points out all of the pink in their character designs)

SOUGO: You're right! Wow, I guess with all of the pink characters in the Ex-Aid Tribute Arc, it only makes sense to get another pink character to guest star.

GEIZ: Hey… are we seriously going to end this analysis with such a shallow observation?

HOMURA: But, since all of that is in the script, then that was definitely something that the Author took into consideration.

IROHA: M-Maybe I should talk a little bit about my character motivation after all.

EMU: You can't, it's too much of a spoiler!

IROHA: B-But, if we leave it like this…

SOUGO: Alright, all together now!

SOUGO/MADOKA: Pink… POWER!

(Sougo and Madoka pose dramatically in line with Emu and Iroha, while everyone else gives an exasperated sigh)

_To Be Continued…_

* * *

**A/N: There really is a lot of pink in this arc, huh? Like they said in the Omake, that was in fact a factor in my decision to choose Iroha as the host of Another Ex-Aid, but it was less of a deciding factor, and more of a "convenient coincidence", you know, just something that made me go "wow, it's like it was meant to be", and got me really excited to write it out, you know? As for Iroha's character motivation and why it's such a good fit for Another Ex-Aid... well, anybody familiar with Magia Record's story could probably guess the direction I'm going with it... I'm not _that_ creative, LOL. Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed, and look forward to the second half of the Ex-Aid Tribute Arc, see ya!**


	7. No Continue 2016

**A/N: Hey guys, MCN here bringing you the second half of the Ex-Aid Tribute Arc! So, fun fact, last Sunday was this fic's ONE YEAR ****ANNIVERSARY! That's right loyal readers, it took this man a _whooooooole_ year to write only four chapters of this story... yeah. Well, to be fair, I was working on other stories at the same time, but still, my pace still remains one of my chiefest flaws as a writer. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy the next chapter, and I'll see you all at the end. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kamen Rider Zi-O or Puella Magi Madoka Magica**

* * *

**No Continue 2016**

_\- 2016 A.D. -_

Tamaki Iroha let loose a volley of glowing pink arrows from a crossbow mounted onto her left arm. Her white, hooded cape fluttered behind her from the force of the launching arrows, but they unfortunately failed to hit their mark, hitting nothing but open air as the bright pink, rabbit shaped Witch twirled out of the way. Iroha took a moment to collect more of her magic into her weapon, giving the Witch the opportunity to retaliate. Suddenly, its bulbous pink head turned a sickly dark blue, its sewn head ripping apart down the middle to reveal a human pelvis bone hidden amongst the white stuffing, and its long floppy ears opening to reveal rows of razor sharp teeth. The Witch kneeled down, its two gapping maws snapping together in an attempt to chomp at the Magical Girl, but Iroha leaped over the ears, twirling in the air and aiming her reloaded crossbow down at the Witch as she flew overhead.

However, the Witch wasn't as defenseless as it appeared to be, as a multitude of Familiars, which took the form of cages filled with colorful wrapping paper, quickly came to their master's defense, taking the arrow blasts for it. Once Iroha landed, she was immediately accosted by more of the Familiars, the girl just barely able to keep them at bay as she shot them down one after another. With its pursuer distracted, the Witch took the moment to flee, reverting back to its more harmless seeming appearance and diving under the wrapping paper covered floor.

"Huh? Ah, w-wait…!" Iroha pleaded as she attempted to chase after the Witch.

Unfortunately, the Familiars continued to bar her path, two managing to get in a few clean hits that sent her tumbling to the ground. From her prone position, Iroha continued to open fire on the Familiars as they swarmed her, the girl desperately firing blast after blast, arrow after arrow, until eventually, the Familiar's were all wiped out. With the coast now clear, Iroha scrambled to her feet and made to chase after the Witch, but just as she was about to go scour the Labyrinth, the bright, colorful, yet sickening world around her began to fade away, revealing instead the empty rooftop of her school.

"…It got away." Iroha lamented with a forlorn sigh.

She hung her head in disappointment as her Magical Girl costume vanished in a flash of pink light, leaving her in the Kamihama City University Affiliated School uniform. She looked down at her Soul Gem, the normally radiant pink crystal now heavily clouded with impurities that threatened to swallow it whole.

"I really need to find a Grief Seed soon, don't I?" Iroha said, knowing full well that she was stating the obvious.

She had wasted so much magic during that last fight, and in the end she had nothing to show for it. She could already feel the weight of the impurities in her Soul Gem weighing down on her, and she dreaded to think of what would happen if it became completely black. However, such worries were quickly banished from her mind as she checked the time.

"Oh no, I'm going to be late!" Iroha said as she grabbed her bag and dashed down the stairwell back into the building. "I have to hurry, Ui's probably already waiting for me!"

Tamaki Ui, Iroha's younger sister, was enrolled in the Elementary School division of Kamihama City University Affiliated School, and despite taking classes in separate buildings on the campus, the sisters always, _always_, walked to and from school together. It was such an ordinary routine, but it was one that both girls treasured, having missed out on such simple pleasures while Ui was…

'_No, that doesn't matter anymore…_' Iroha thought, shaking her head free of the melancholic memories. '_Ui's better now, and we have our whole lives to make up for lost time!_'

A smile blossomed across her face, the young girl increasing her pace as she ran out the back entrance of the Middle School building. She trotted through the pathway that ran behind and around the Elementary School building, making her way to the front steps where she knew her younger sister would be waiting for her.

"Ui! Sorry for makin you… wait…" Iroha trailed off as she turned the corner, stopping dead in her tracks as she saw the scene before her. Parked out in front of the Elementary School building was the all too familiar sight of an ambulance, a couple of paramedics unloading a stretcher from the back while two more rushed over to a small crowd of teachers and students that have gathered around the front steps.

"No… no, no, it can't be…" Iroha pleaded under her breath, taking a few hesitant steps forward, terrified to confirm the situation for herself. As the paramedics instructed the crowd to give them space, she finally saw it, lying there, hand clutching her chest, a look of pain and anguish on her face, was her little sister.

"Ui… UIIII!" Iroha screamed, dropping her bag onto the grass as she sprinted over to the crowd. "Please, let me through, that's my little sister!" Iroha said as she forced her way through the crowd. By the time she made it through, the younger girl, no older than eleven, was being carefully lifted onto the stretcher, Iroha rushing to her side as they strapped Ui in. "Ui!"

"Onee… chan…" Ui struggled to say between ragged breaths.

"I'm here Ui. It's ok, you're big sister is here." Iroha said, grasping the familiar sensation of Ui's cold, clammy hand tightly.

"Onee-chan… it hurts… Onee-chan…" Ui whimpered, tears streaming down her face as she looked up desperately at her older sister.

"She's going through cardiac arrest, we have to get her to a hospital, _now_."

The words of the paramedic made Iroha's heart sink, the girl looking up incredulously at the one who said it before they carted Ui off towards the ambulance.

"Her heart… no… why…?" Iroha fell to her knees in utter devastation, eyes glued to the floor as tears began falling from her eyes. "She's… she's supposed to be healthy now… she's supposed to be cured now… so why… WHY!?"

Iroha was sobbing now, her whole world falling apart all around her as she fell into the deepest depths of despair. All the while, her Soul Gem was clenched in her hand, the impurities spreading all cross the pink surface of the crystal until it was pitch black, a hairline crack forming across it as it was prepared to burst. But burst it did not, as all of a sudden the world around her froze, the sound of the rolling wheels of the stretcher and the concerned whispers of the gathered crowd suddenly falling silent. Iroha looked around in bewilderment with her bloodshot eyes, her devastation momentarily replaced with confusion.

"Wha… what is this… a Witch?"

"Not exactly."

The unfamiliar voice drew Iroha's attention over to the curbside ambulance. Leaning against the vehicle was a beautiful young woman wearing a strange light blue outfit, her arms crossed and a smirk appearing on her face as Iroha looked up at her.

"This all happens to be my doing." The woman said as she sauntered around the frozen paramedics, lightly caressing the back of one as she passed.

"What? Who… who are you… what the heck is going on here!?" Iroha screamed, overwhelmed by the strangeness of the situation.

"I'm the Time Jacker, Ora." The young woman, Ora replied. "Tamaki Iroha, I have some very bad news for you, but also some very good news."

"Good… news?" Iroha said quizzically. Ora beckoned Iroha over with a finger, the Magical Girl taking a moment to wipe her tears dry and staggered to her feet to approach.

"Unfortunately, this poor girl doesn't have much time left." Ora said in a faux somber tone.

"What!?"

"According to history, this heart attack will put her into a coma, and two days later, her heart will stop… forever." Ora explained, Iroha's eyes widening in absolute shock. "That's the bad news."

"So… Ui will…" The tears began to fall again, Iroha's worst fears coming to life. "No… no, she can't… she can't die! Not after I… I…"

"_But_, if you make a contract with me, you'll be able to save her life." Ora added, grinning as Iroha looked back up with renewed hope in her eyes. "That's the good news. Well, what will you do?"

"Another… contract?" Iroha pondered the offer. There was a rational part of her that said to ask some more questions, to get all of the facts before diving head first into another contract. However, as she looked down at Ui, her face frozen in time in an expression that conveyed nothing but pain and anguish, any rational thought was pushed to the side.

There was only one answer.

Iroha wiped away her tears, looked back up at Ora, and gave her a consenting nod of her head.

"Good girl." Ora said with a satisfied smile. "Now, could I see your Soul Gem for a minute?"

"My Soul Gem?" Iroha said quizzically.

She looked back down at the crystal in her hand, surprised to see that it was now completely black. Regardless, she handed it over to Ora, the Time Jacker taking out a strange, watch-like device and placing the corrupted Soul Gem inside. A glowing clock face flashed on the surface as the device transformed.

"Congratulations, from now on you are Kamen Rider Ex-Aid." Ora declared as she handed off the Anotherwatch to Iroha.

"…Ex-Aid?" Iroha said as she looked down at the grotesque image displayed on the watch face. Out of pure curiosity, she pressed the button on top of the watch, a distorted image of the monster face being projected from the watch face.

"_Ex-Aid!_" The Anotherwatch announced in a distorted voice. Iroha screamed in pain as she was engulfed by black tendrils, her girlish shriek eventually replaced with a monstrous roar as her body was forcefully transformed. Ora looked on with a satisfied smirk, admiring her handiwork as Tamaki Iroha transformed into Another Ex-Aid.

* * *

_\- 2018 A.D. -_

"Kamen Rider… Ex-Aid." Iroha said, recognizing the Rider as the source of her power.

Recognizing a fight when he saw one, Geiz placed the Ex-Aid Anotherwatch in one of the empty slots on his Ridewatch Holder, and the moment it snapped into place, Ex-Aid charged in, attacking the heroes that were attempting to protect his place in history.

"Hey, what gives, aren't the Legend Riders supposed to be good guys?" Sayaka said in confusion.

"Homura-chan, why is Dr. Hojo attacking us?" Madoka asked the transfer student.

"I don't know." Homura answered simply, just as taken aback as the others.

Meanwhile, Zi-O and Geiz had begun trading blows with Ex-Aid, "HIT" graphics popping up with every blow the Legend Rider managed to land. As Ex-Aid was blocking the last of a flurry of blows from Geiz, Zi-O attempted to swing at him with the Drill Crusher Crusher, only for the Legend Rider to kick the weapon away with a crescent kick, then bring that same leg back around to nail Zi-O in the head with a roundhouse kick. Geiz attempted to reenter Ex-Aid's guard, but Ex-Aid blocked his first punch and made him stagger back with a quick jab-punch combination.

The duo quickly regained their composure and attempted to retaliate at the same time, but Ex-Aid saw this coming and leaped out of the way, landing on a nearby chocolate block as his opponents crashed into each other. Ex-Aid then leaped back down, kicking each Rider as he flew overhead, and while they were still disoriented, he landed a punch on each of them, and then sent them both tumbling to the ground with a single spinning crescent kick.

"Dr. Hojo… why are you…?" Iroha wondered out loud as she watched the Legend Rider fight, seemingly, on her behalf.

Zi-O and Geiz quickly got back on their feet, ready to take the fight seriously, but just as the two sides charged at each other, the three Riders suddenly froze in place.

"What!?" Zi-O gasped, fully conscious, but unable to move his body no matter how much he willed it.

"I can't… move…" Sayaka said, she and the rest of the onlookers also frozen in place, their bodies flickering with static as they struggled.

"Er… Akemi… -san?" Mami said, looking towards the other girl out of the corner of her eye.

"No, this isn't me…" Homura denied.

"…Ora-san?" Iroha said, being the only one unaffected by the time freeze… or so it seemed.

The sound of heeled boots on pavement echoed throughout the warehouse, as Ora the Time Jacker strode in past the girls and right in the middle of the Riders' paused battle.

"…Time Jacker!" Geiz said, the girl in question giving the frozen Rider a cocky smile. Ora then reached out and removed the Ex-Aid Anotherwatch from Geiz's arm, extended in a punch. Geiz desperately struggled to move his body to stop her, but he was completely powerless as Ora took the watch and sauntered over to Iroha.

"You have to be more careful, Tamaki-san. What would you have done if I hadn't taken the watch back for you?" Ora playfully scolded the pinkette.

"R-Right… thank you very much for your help." Iroha replied with a low, appreciative bow.

"That's ok, just don't let it happen again. Here," Ora offered the Ex-Aid Anotherwatch to Iroha, the girl gratefully reclaiming it. "Well then, I'll leave the rest to you." Ora said, before turning back to the frozen forms of the Riders and their allies. "…See you around~."

With that cheeky farewell, Ora vanished from the scene, time unfreezing and everyone staggering as they regained control of their bodies.

"Wait, don't…!" Ex-Aid pleaded to Iroha, the girl clutching the Anotherwatch with a determined look on her face.

"I'm sorry Dr. Hojo, but… I still need your power."

Iroha struck a dynamic pose, swinging the Anotherwatch around her body in a matter identical to Ex-Aid's pre-transformation pose.

"_Ex-Aid!_" The watch announced as Iroha activated it, transforming her once again into the monstrous Another Ex-Aid.

Upon her transformation, the true Kamen Rider Ex-Aid flinched as his suit vanished from his body in a flash of static, leaving Hojo Emu in his civilian guise. With a low, determined growl, Another Ex-Aid turned its back on the group and began to retreat, revealing a strange, oversized faceplate strapped to its back that resembled a caricature of its own face. On the right eye of the faceplate was the Rider's name, "_EX-AID_", and on the left eye, seen for just a brief moment, was the Rider's year of origin: 2016.

Before anything else could be said, a pulse of pink, pixelated energy engulfed the whole warehouse, the data world of the game fading away as the group found themselves back in the courtyard of Seito University Hospital, Another Ex-Aid nowhere to be found.

"Huh, we're back?" Sayaka said, looking around quizzically at the familiar surroundings.

"Yes, it seems that Another Ex-Aid kicked us out of the game." Mami replied.

"So it got away again, huh?" Sougo lamented as he undid his transformation, Geiz doing the same as he cursed under his breath. At that very moment, Emu turned back around towards the group, a confused look on his face.

"Um… who are all of you?"

"Huh? You don't remember?" Sougo said in surprise.

"Sorry, but I… wait, Homura-chan?" Emu said as his eyes fell on the raven-haired girl. "Homura-chan, is that you?"

"…Yes, I am Akemi Homura." Homura replied, becoming noticeably tense.

"Wow, long time no see! You've grown so much since I last saw you, I almost didn't recognize you!" Emu said with a wide smile on his face. Homura fiend an amused chuckle, putting on a polite smile of her own.

"Thank you very much, Dr. Hojo. I must say I was rather surprised that you turned out to be a Kamen Rider."

"Huh, what do you mean?" Emu said with a quizzical tilt of his head. Homura's smile fell from her face as she traded a concerned look with Mami and Geiz.

"You're… Kamen Rider Ex-Aid, aren't you?" She asked.

"Ex-Aid… what's that? A gamer tag?" Emu obliviously replied, much to everyone's surprise.

"Déjà vu anyone?" Sayaka whispered to Madoka and Sougo.

"It's just like with Kiryu-san and Banjou-san." Madoka recalled in concern.

Understanding that pushing the issue was pointless, Sougo took it upon himself to change the subject.

"Well, the thing is, we actually came here to help with the coma patients." Sougo said, gaining Emu's attention.

"Coma patients? You mean, the ones connected to the cursed game?" Emu replied.

"That's right. We followed the clue you left behind, and went inside the game just like you did." Sougo explained, showing Emu the note.

"You saw it too, didn't you? The monster that lurks inside the game." Geiz spoke up. "That monster is the one causing the mysterious illness." He explained.

"…I see." Emu said pensively, certainly having come to the same conclusion himself.

"If we defeat the Another Rider, we can cure the patients, but since we don't really know anything about video games, we came here to ask for your help, Genius Gamer M." Madoka explained. "Please, will you help us?" The pinkette pleaded with a bow.

"…I'm sorry, but can I please ask you to stay out of this matter?" Emu replied with a stern look on his face.

"Huh? B-but…" Madoka stammered, the whole group completely taken aback by the young doctor's reply.

"But why? You were investigating the "Unbeatable Game" because you wanted to help the patients, right?" Sayaka inquired.

"I appreciate your concern for the patients, but… I'm afraid my objective is fundamentally different from yours." With that harsh assertion, Emu took his leave, making his way back to the hospital and leaving the young teens completely baffled.

"The heck was up with that?" Sayaka said bitterly.

"He's supposed to be a Legend Rider, but rather than help, he just got in our way." Mami scrutinized, arms crossed and gaze lowered on the retreating doctor.

"Dr. Emu…" Madoka said, hanging her head solemnly.

"So, what do we do now?" Sougo wondered.

"_You _three don't do anything." Geiz stated. "The three of _us_ are going to go back in time to 2016 to defeat the Another Rider." With that, Geiz began to walk away.

"Huh? W-Wait, Geiz!" Sougo called after him, the time traveler stopping to address him.

"Between the three of us, and Hojo Emu of the past, we'll have no problem handling Another Ex-Aid in combat. Zi-O, this matter no longer concerns you." Geiz shot a glare at Sougo from over his shoulder as he said this, before turning his gaze towards his allies. "Let's go." Geiz didn't wait for a response, already taking his leave even as Mami and Homura lingered.

"Like he said, we'll make sure to deal with Another Ex-Aid, and save all of the coma patients. So please, just leave the Another Riders to us from now on." Mami requested before following after Geiz, along with a silent and stoic Homura.

The rest of the group was left in silence, the trio trading a pensive look with each other as they wondered what their next move would be.

* * *

"Space-Time transport system activate!" Geiz said as he got settled in at the controls of his Time Mazine. Mami and Homura flanked him on either side, watching as Geiz scrolled through the date selector on the holographic screen. He scrolled two dates down, stopping on the year 2016 A.D. and locking it in, the engines of the Time Mazine roaring to life as they lifted off the ground and flew into the timestream.

"I still can't get used to the fact that we're really traveling through time." Mami said as she looked through the monitor that revealed the strange blue tunnel that was the timestream. "Somehow, I didn't expect the timestream to look so… artificial?"

"Time itself is just a nebulous concept, so our perception of moving through it is highly dependent on the method used." Geiz explained as he kept the Time Mazine steady.

"I see, fascinating." Mami said. It was then that her eyes wondered over to the read out of their coordinates, the date in months, days, and years winding down as they neared their destination. "2016… say, Myokoin-san, would it be possible to…"

"No." Mami couldn't help but gasp at the sudden, curt reply. "You were about to ask if we could use the Time Mazine to change something in your past, weren't you?" Geiz said, glancing back at the Magical Girl.

"Well… I…"

"Believe me, I understand how you feel, but making even the smallest changes to the past can have dangerous, unexpected consequences to the future. It's something that shouldn't be taken lightly." Geiz lectured, Mami's face falling for a moment as she considered his words.

"…Yes, I suppose you're right." Mami replied, an apologetic smile on her face. "I'm sorry I asked."

"…We're here." Geiz informed them, the girls bracing themselves as Geiz slowed the Time Mazine down and flew it through a portal that opened up before them.

_\- 2016 A.D. -_

"_Mighty Jump! Mighty Kick! Mighty, Mighty Action X!_" The Gamer Driver sang as Kamen Rider Ex-Aid leaped into the air and transformed into the familiar sight of his Action Gamer Level 2 form.

"Hey, isn't that…" Mami began.

"Kamen Rider Ex-Aid!" Homura said, recognizing the pink clad hero as well.

"And he's not alone." Geiz remarked as the trio surveyed the scene from overhead.

Once Kamen Rider Ex-Aid landed, he began fighting off a hoard of strange looking foot soldiers with white and orange heads, dressed in mage-robes and wielding what seemed to be magic staves. Ex-Aid himself wielded a small hammer-like weapon, hopping around the battlefield and bashing the creatures' with it left and right.

Meanwhile, across the battlefield, another creature, a red humanoid with dragon-like features, did battle with what seemed to be a second Kamen Rider, if the Gamer Driver strapped around his waist was any indication. This Rider had a black and blue body suit with the same game controller-like chest armor as Ex-Aid, only his screen was colored yellow. His helmet was stylized after a European knight, with cartoonish yellow eyes peaking out from the faceplate, and to top it all off, he wielded a sword wreathed in flames and ice. Eventually, the second Rider finished off the monster with a powerful energy slash, earning a "PERFECT" graphic and the Game Area announcing "Game Clear!" to signify the Riders' victory. With the battle concluded, Geiz brought the Time Mazine in for a landing, grabbing the Riders' attention.

"Huh? Hey, what's that?" Ex-Aid said quizzically as he and the other Rider looked up at the Time Mazine, landing in its humanoid robot mode.

* * *

"Eh! You're all from the future!?" The Hojo Emu of 2016 exclaimed in surprise.

"From your prospective anyway." Geiz replied. After their grand entrance, the time traveling trio followed the Riders, Ex-Aid and Brave, back to Seito University Hospital, where they had begun to explain the situation to them. "There's a group of people we're fighting against that are trying to change the past. If they're successful, then the Rider power that you both posses will be erased from history."

"So you three came here to warn us about that?" Emu asked.

"More than that, we're here to help you prevent it." Mami replied. "Akemi-san and I might be able to track the Another Rider down, but we'll need the power of Ex-Aid to defeat it."

"That's why while they search the city, I'll be keeping an eye out around here with you. Once we find any sign of the Another Rider's creation, we'll all meet up and defeat it." Geiz explained the plan, Emu taking a moment to digest the information.

"How asinine." Kagami Hiiro said as he pushed off the wall he was leaning on. "All of this talk of the past and the future… don't waste my time with your ridiculous fantasy." With that harsh dismissal, Hiiro took his leave, the rest of the group watching as he returned to the surgical ward of the hospital.

"He's a cold guy, isn't he?" Geiz remarked.

"To be fair, you don't seem much different." Emu rebuked, earning a confounded look from Geiz and a small chuckle from Mami.

"Well, I think that _most_ people would be skeptical when told something like this." She argued. "In fact, I think it's more surprising that you so readily believe us, Dr. Hojo."

"Mmm… well, it's true that it all sounds pretty outrageous, but lately I've been dealing with some pretty outrageous stuff myself. Plus, it's hard to deny it when there's proof right in front of me." Emu said, his gaze turning to Homura. "The Homura-chan I know is still a shy and frail 12-year-old little girl, and yet here you are, two years older and completely healthy. I'm… actually kind of relieved." He admitted with a wholesome smile on his face.

"Understandable, my condition was rather touch and go for a while." Homura conceded. "It wasn't until I received some special treatment at Mitakihara General Hospital that I managed to get well enough to be discharged."

"I see… I'm sorry that we weren't able to help you here." Emu regretfully replied.

"You have no need to apologize, after all, you were just an intern at the time, you held no responsibility for my treatment." Homura stoically dismissed his concern.

It was true though; despite only being two years younger, his youth and inexperience were plain to see. His hair was longer and more unkempt, and he wore a pair of bright red pants and a green graphic t-shirt that looked incredibly unprofessional for a doctor's attire. Even his face somehow seemed more youthful and relaxed, like the true weight of the responsibility of his profession hadn't fully set in yet. Homura couldn't help but wonder how he managed to succeed at his internship, let alone become a resident pediatrician.

"I suppose so… oh, by the way, are you still playing that game?" Emu suddenly asked, much to Homura's surprise.

"Game?" Mami said quizzically.

"The last time Homura-chan was here, we played this game together. It was a puzzle game where you play as a cat that has to rearrange the furniture in a living room in order to find all of its toys." Emu explained, Homura's stoic expression showing a brief flash of embarrassment at the reminder of the childish game she had become so invested in all that time ago. "We weren't able to finish it before you had to return home, so I gave it to you, remember?"

"Yes, I remember." Homura confirmed.

"So, were you ever able to beat it?" Emu asked. Homura shook her head.

"I was not. The nuns confiscated it before I could get to the end." Homura answered with almost complete disinterest.

"Oh, I see…" Emu said with a crestfallen look on his face, almost like he was disappointed _for_ her.

Honestly, it wasn't _that_ big of a deal, and if Homura recalled, it was her own fault for playing with the damn thing during Sunday mass. Of course the nuns were going to brand it as a "satanic temptation" and take it from her, but she was young and impatient, and just couldn't help herself. Frankly, she had forgotten all about it before this very moment, after all, it was just a pathetic little vignette from a time in her life she would gladly forget all about.

It just didn't matter.

"Then, I'll get you another one."

"Huh?" Homura gasped in surprise.

"I'll keep it here at the hospital so the nuns can't take it away, and the you of this era can play with it when you have to stay here overnight!" Emu declared, regaining his smile.

"That won't be nece…"

"Ahh! I totally forgot about my next appointment!" Emu suddenly cried, rubbing his hands through his hair in a panic. "I'm so sorry, but I gotta go! Waaah, I'm gonna be late… GAH!" Emu gasped as he tripped over his own feet and fell face first onto the floor, earning a wince from the trio of time travelers. "Ouch… I'm ok." Emu quickly assured before getting back up and rushing down the hall back to pediatrics.

Without even realizing it, Homura let out a small chuckle, her lips curling into an almost invisible smile.

"He seems like a very kind doctor." Mami spoke up, giving Homura a knowing smile.

"…I suppose." Homura replied, regaining her stoic demeanor.

"It makes you wonder why he ended up fighting against us in 2018." Geiz pondered.

"That's beside the point, let's just focus on the task at hand." Homura insisted.

"Agreed. Here, take these." Geiz said as he handed the girls two identical devices. It was similar to a Ridewatch, but more ovular in shape, and had what seemed to be a phone screen on the front rather than a dial. Its body was a pristine, metallic silver, and at the top where the button should've been was instead what seemed to be a small muzzle of some sort.

"What are these?" Mami inquired.

"Faizphone X. They'll let us contact each other even across different points in the timeline." Geiz explained, showing off his own Faizphone X. "They also double as laser pistols, strong enough to give even an Another Rider a rough time with a few well-placed shots."

"My, what a useful tool for a time traveler to have." Mami said as she folded the phone's keypad out.

"If you manage to find any trace of the Another Rider, contact me and I'll bring Hojo Emu to your location, I'll do the same." He instructed.

"Understood, come on, let's get started Akemi-san." Mami said, Homura nodding in compliance before the two girls rushed out of the hospital. Geiz went to follow Emu to pediatrics, keeping watch for anything that could signal the creation of Another Ex-Aid.

* * *

_\- 2018 A.D. -_

"Like _hell_ this isn't our concern!" Sayaka shouted as she punched a crudely drawn picture of Geiz that she had taped to the drapes of the entrance of the 9-to-5 Workshop. "The only reason you didn't get your butt kicked by Another Ex-Aid is because of the Ridewatch Nakazawa gave you, so what gives _you_ the right kick _us_ off the mission!?" She complained, throwing a few more frustrated punches.

"S-Sayaka-chan, you shouldn't do that." Madoka pleaded. "What if a customer…"

"And _you_!" Sayaka snapped, pointing accusingly at Sougo, who was sat at the table in the lounge area of the shop. "Why are you backing off? You should be in 2016 right now, racing to find Another Ex-Aid before they do, not holed up in your house sulking!" She scolded him, the boy flinching as she stomped over and slammed her hands on the table.

"Well… if you think about it, Geiz kind of has a point." Sougo said, folding his hands on the table in solemn contemplation. "Geiz is a better fighter than I am, and he has Akemi-san and Tomoe-senpai helping him out too. Combine that with the Dr. Hojo of 2016, and they should be able to handle the Another Rider like Geiz and I were able to… there really is no reason for me to be there."

"Oh yeah, and what if they _can't_ defeat the Another Rider before Ex-Aid is erased, what then?" Sayaka argued, crossing her arms in indignation.

"If that happens…"

_If I had told you my Lord, would that have stopped you from using the Ridewatch to fight Another Build?_

"…Then it's probably for the best that I'm not around, for Dr. Emu's sake."

Sayaka, unfortunately, understood the implication, taking the wind right out of her sails. The blunette silently conceded, pulling out a chair and sitting down in a huff, followed soon after by Madoka. An uncomfortable silence fell upon the trio, Madoka fidgeting in her seat, trying to deal with the tension as her classmates refused to make eye contact with each other, Sayaka out of frustration, and Sougo out of shame.

"…You know, there's something that's been bothering me." Madoka eventually spoke up.

"What's that?" Sougo asked curiously.

"…It's about Dr. Emu." Madoka said. "Not only did he attack us in the game world, but he also told us not to continue our investigation. Why is that?" She inquired, tilting her head quizzically as she pondered.

"Hmm… that was pretty fishy." Sayaka concurred.

"And wouldn't it be a problem if the 2016 version of Dr. Emu did the same thing?" Madoka said, looking almost hopefully at Sougo.

"Yeah… yeah, you're right!" Sougo exclaimed in realization. "The plan won't work if the Ex-Aid of 2016 won't cooperate!"

"Exactly! So... we should probably figure out why he did that, just in case, right?" Madoka suggested with a hopeful smile.

"Uh… y-yeah, I guess we should." Sougo said, Madoka giggling at his embarrassed enthusiasm.

"Alright, we're back in the game!" Sayaka said, pumping her fist in the air boisterously. "So… any ideas?"

"Uh… n-not really, I was kind of hoping you two would have some ideas." Madoka awkwardly admitted.

"Hmm... well, since Dr. Emu is a doctor _and_ a gamer, he _should_ have been able to figure out that Another Ex-Aid is the one causing the mysterious illness on his own, and yet he still attacked us." Sayaka pondered. "Do you think that maybe… he's in cahoots with the Another Rider?" She suggested, to her classmate's shock.

"What? No, that can't be!" Madoka strongly disagreed. "Dr. Emu is a Legend Rider, and a doctor, why would he team up with a monster that's going around hospitalizing people!?"

"But think about, he only jumped in back in the game world after we had the Another Rider on the ropes, and even after we offered him the cure for the coma patients on a silver platter, he just tells us to buzz off! Doesn't it kind of seem like he's protecting the Another Rider?" Sayaka posited.

"No… there has to be another reason!" Madoka asserted.

"What makes you so sure, Kaname-san?" Sougo asked curiously.

"Don't you remember what Homura-chan said?" Madoka began, gaining confused looks from the other two. "When she was staying at Seito University Hospital, Dr. Emu played video games with her and the other child patients." She reminded, Sougo and Sayaka indeed recalling that fact. "And Dr. Kagami said that Dr. Emu looked into the "Unbeatable Game" on his own time, even after it looked like it was just a dead end! He's definitely a kind and dedicated doctor, who cares just as much about his patents' happiness as their health! There's no way he would help hurt innocent people like that!"

"Kaname-san… you have _that_ much faith in someone you don't even really know?" Sougo said incredulously.

_That's why, if you try really hard, I'm sure you could become a _great_ king someday!_

"…What am I saying, of course you would." Sougo said with an understanding smile, Madoka tilting her head in confusion.

"But even so, what other explanation could there be?" Sayaka wondered, the room falling silent as the three contemplated the question.

_Wait don't…!_

_I'm sorry Dr. Hojo…_

"…Maybe we're not _entirely _off the mark here." Sougo spoke up.

"What do you mean?" Madoka asked.

"Back in the game world, didn't it kind of seem like Dr. Hojo and the Another Rider host knew each other?" Sougo recalled.

"Hmm… yeah, I guess it kind of did." Sayaka agreed.

"But, it also seemed like Dr. Emu didn't want her to use the Anotherwatch again." Madoka added. "So that means… they're _not_ working together, right?" She happily concluded.

"Yeah, you're probably right. So then why did he try to get in our way?" Sougo pondered the question out loud again.

_P-Please give that back!? It's… something very important, I _need_ it!_

"That girl… just who is she?"

"Her name is Tamaki Iroha."

"Huh?"

Sougo turned around in his seat, looking for the source of the unfamiliar voice. The boy nearly jumped out of the chair in surprise, as sitting on the nearest display case, staring at him with its beady little red eyes, was a strange white animal.

"Whoa! What the heck is that!?" Sougo shouted.

"Oh, it's you!" Sayaka exclaimed, recognizing the creature.

"Kyubey!" Madoka yelled in a mixture of surprise and relief as she and Sayaka stood from their chairs.

"It's good to see you again, Kaname Madoka, Miki Sayaka." Kyubey greeted the two girls before returning its attention to Sougo. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Nakazawa Sougo. It's very rare that I get to speak to a human boy."

"…White fur, beady eyes, four ears… wait, is this the animal you guys were talking about back in the park?" Sougo recalled.

"Yep, that's it alright." Sayaka confirmed.

"But, how? Didn't Woz-san… you know?" Madoka asked curiously.

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that. I have plenty of spares, so the destruction of my body will not mean the end of my life." Kyubey reassured her.

"Oh… well, I'm glad you're ok." Madoka said with a smile.

"Thank you. Now then, if you don't mind, I would like to continue our discussion from before." Kyubey requested, its long bushy tail swaying back and forth behind it.

"Oh yeah, you were trying to help us out before, right?" Sayaka remembered. "Well, we could definitely use a little help right about now, so…"

"W-Wait, just hold on a second!" Sougo spoke up, standing from his seat and coming between the girls and the creature. "Uh, can you excuse us for a minute, we need to discuss something." Sougo said to Kyubey as he guided his classmates into the kitchen.

The small animal watched them leave, tilting its head in confusion as he watched Sougo close the door behind him, as well as close the shutters to give them total privacy.

"Ok, I know we're kind of hurting for information right now, but didn't Woz tell us not to trust this guy?" Sougo argued in a hushed tone.

"Yeah, but Woz says a lot of things." Sayaka said with an indifferent shrug.

"And he's always been right, hasn't he?" Sougo rebuked.

"That's true, Woz-san is usually right about these kinds of things." Madoka conceded. "And if he went so far as to try and kill him…"

"Yeah… but didn't Woz also trick us into erasing Kamen Rider Build from history?" Sayaka pointed out.

"Well… yeah, I guess he kind of did." Sougo admitted.

"I'm not saying we shouldn't trust what he says, but he's obviously more concerned with making sure you become king, rather than doing the right thing." Sayaka asserted.

"Yeah, I've kind of noticed that too." Madoka said.

"Right? So who's to say that he wouldn't stretch the truth just a little bit to keep us from doing something that isn't in that precious book of his?" Sayaka posited.

"…Alright, point taken." Sougo conceded. He peaked back out at Kyubey from the kitchen shutters, catching a glimpse of the little creature scratching the back of its cat like ear with its hind-leg like some kind of dog. "…Ok, fine, let's hear him out, but only to find out what he knows about the Another Rider host. We don't agree to anything today, agreed?"

"**Agreed.**"

With the trio all in agreement, they returned to the lounge area of the shop, each of them taking a seat at the table.

"Sorry for the wait. So, you had some kind of offer to make?" Sougo inquired.

"That's right." Kyubey replied, leaping down from the display case and hopping up onto the table. "Now then, allow me to ask again. Kaname Madoka, Miki Sayaka, will you make contracts with me, and become Magical Girls?"

* * *

_\- 2016 A.D. -_

"Any luck, Akemi-san?" Mami asked as she reunited with the raven-haired transfer student.

"I'm afraid not." Homura lamented. "You?"

"I've picked up the magic of a few Magical Girls, but no sign of the Another Rider unfortunately." Mami replied.

"I see."

The two girls had decided to split up in order to cover more ground, Homura searching west from Seito University Hospital, while Mami searched the east, meeting back up near the south train station. During the previous confrontation with Another Ex-Aid, both girls noticed that they could somewhat sense the creature's power, almost like a magical signature. However, the signature of the Another Rider was completely distinct from that of a Magical Girl or a Witch, so neither were certain that they could recognize and track it as normal, but it was worth a shot nonetheless.

"It could be that it hasn't been created yet." Homura suggested. "Zi-O did say that the delay was short."

"All the more reason to find it as soon as possible. If we miss that window of opportunity…" Mami trailed off, as if not even willing to even consider the alternative. "For now, I suppose we should rest. If the Another Rider truly hasn't been created yet, then running around and wasting our energy won't do us any good."

"Agreed."

"Well then, what shall we do? Find a café somewhere, or maybe…?"

"I'm fine with just finding somewhere quite to sit." Homura quickly cut Mami off. "We can't distract ourselves too much."

"Very well." Mami conceded, the girls leaving the station and stopping at a crosswalk as the light changed.

"Mama! Papa! Hurry up, hurry up!" The playfully impatient cries of a child caught the duo's attention. A little girl was currently leading her parents down the perpendicular crosswalk, the man and woman happily being dragged along.

"Oh my, slow down Michiko!" The mother laughed.

"You know the ice cream isn't going to melt if we don't hurry!" The father teased, apparently the family was on their way to get ice cream, perhaps after a long day out on the town.

Homura paid little mind to the display, but she couldn't help but notice how Mami's gaze lingered on them as they happily strolled down the street, the older girl squeezing her fist over her heart as she watched them disappear from view.

"…Tomoe Mami, about what you said before in the Time Mazine," Homura said, regaining Mami's attention. "Could that have been about your wish?" Homura remained stoic, even as Mami looked at her with a startled look on her face. A moment passed, and Mami's expression softened into a solemn smile.

"Well, I suppose it's not unrelated." She admitted. "How did you know?"

"Just a guess." Homura lied. "I've known many Magical Girls like that, who have grown to regret the wish they made, or even regret making a wish at all. May I ask what your wish was?" Homura didn't need to be told, but it was the next logical question, so she asked it.

"…Earlier this year, in the spring of 2016, my parents and I were in a car accident; it was a drunk driver. It was there, crushed under the weight of the cars, that Kyubey came to me, and I wished to be saved… I was the only survivor." Mami explained, wrapping her hands together as she recalled the unpleasant memory.

"I see… so then why did you give up so easily when Myokoin Geiz refused your request?" Homura asked with genuine curiosity.

"I suppose it does seem rather foolish of me, but in the end, I understand why Myokoin-san refused." Mami replied. "How I live my life now, how I approach being a Magical Girl, it all draws back to that one moment, to that one impulsive decision. If I had, say, gone back and prevented the crash from ever happening, then I would have either never made a contract, leaving one less Magical Girl to hunt Witches in Mitakihara, or have possibly made a more selfish wish instead. Even if I were to just simply let the accident happen but make sure to wish for my family's survival as well, I still fear that I would turn out to be just like many of the other Magical Girls I have encountered; only concerned with collecting Grief Seeds, with helping people as an afterthought."

"…The unforeseen consequences of changing the past." Homura said knowingly.

"That's right. If I were to rescue my parents knowing that doing so may cost countless of other innocent people their lives… I don't think I'd be able to face them." Mami asserted solemnly, squeezing her eyes shut to prevent any tears from forming.

'_Choosing the moral high ground over the people you love… I would expect nothing less from you, Tomoe Mami._' Homura thought bitterly, but instead responded with a simple "I see."

_BEEP BEEP_

_BEEP BEEP_

The conversation came to screeching halt as Mami and Homura's Faizphone Xs began ringing. Both girls pulled out the devices, swung out the keypads, and answered the call, the caller ID showing it to be Geiz.

"Myokoin-san?" Mami answered.

"_Mami, Homura, I think the Another Rider was just created!_" Geiz said, much to the girls' surprise.

"What?" Homura said quizzically.

"_Hojo Emu's body suddenly began shimmering in the same way it did when the Another Rider host regained the Anotherwatch._" He explained. "_You may want to renew your search, Another Ex-Aid might attack soon!_"

"Understood, we'll keep looking and keep you posted." Mami replied.

"_Alright, good luck._" Geiz said before hanging up.

Mami and Homura traded a determined look, nodding in understanding to each other before darting off in opposite directions, their Soul Gems out and glowing as they searched for the unique signature of Another Ex-Aid.

* * *

_\- 2018 A.D. -_

"So, in exchange for a wish, a girl would gain magical powers, and become a Magical Girl?" Sougo reiterated what had been told to him so far.

"That's right, once a wish is granted, a Soul Gem is made, the source of a Magical Girl's power. Those who receive one are given the responsibility of fighting Witches." Kyubey explained.

"Witches?" Madoka said quizzically.

"What's that? Are they different from Magical Girls?" Sayaka inquired.

"If Magical Girls are born from wishes, then Witches are born from curses." Kyubey said. "Magical Girls spread hope, whereas Witches spread despair, and to make matters worse, they can't be seen by normal humans. Silently, invisibly, they sow the seeds of catastrophe in this world. Many inexplicable murders and suicides that occur are often caused by a Witch's curse."

"So, Witches cause bad things to happen in the world, and it's a Magical Girl's job to hunt them, right?" Madoka deduced from Kyubey's cryptic language.

"That's correct, Kaname Madoka." Kyubey confirmed.

"So… Magical Girls really are heroes of justice, just like the Kamen Riders!" Madoka happily concluded.

"Pffft, yeah right." Sayaka scoffed, crossing her arms and leaning back into her chair. "All that transfer student and third-year student have done is get their butts kicked and harass us for trying to do the right thing. Some heroes of justice."

"I assume you're referring to Tomoe Mami and Akemi Homura." Kyubey said, regaining the girls' attention. "I suppose I should apologize for their recent behavior."

"Huh? Why's that?" Sougo asked.

"As Magical Girls, their only responsibility is to hunt Witches, nothing more, nothing less." Kyubey explained. "They are free to use their power however they wish for the most part, but when they begin prioritizing other things above their contracted responsibilities, I would ordinarily speak out against it. Admittedly, I would often times go ignored, but I would normally at least make the effort to convince them."

"Ugghhh, unbelievable!" Sayaka exclaimed. "They treat us like _we're_ in the way, when really _they're_ the ones sticking their noses where they don't belong!"

"So, are you saying you haven't tried to stop them from fighting the Another Riders? Why?" Madoka inquired.

"Truth be told, I'm rather intrigued by the existence of these "Another Riders", as you call them, and so in order to collect data on them, I've opted not to speak out against Akemi Homura and Tomoe Mami's recent activities against them." Kyubey admitted.

"I see."

"So… is that how you know about the host of Another Ex-Aid; because you were observing the Another Riders?" Sougo inquired, seizing the opportunity to fish for the information that they wanted.

"Hmm… rather than that, I believe the inverse would be more accurate." Kyubey replied cryptically, much to the trio's confusion. "I became interested in the Another Riders because I already knew the identity of the host."

"Really? So how do you know her then?" Sougo asked.

"For the same reason I know of Kaname Madoka and Miki Sayaka." Kyubey replied. "Tamaki Iroha, the host of Another Ex-Aid, is in fact a Magical Girl."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"**WHAT!?**" The three teens all exclaimed in unison, making Kyubey jump in surprise.

"The Another Rider host…" Sayaka began.

"…Is a Magical Girl?" Madoka completed, both girls shocked by the revelation.

"That's correct." Kyubey said. "Two years ago, Tamaki Iroha made a contract with me and became a Magical Girl. She performed her duties well enough, but in the autumn of 2016, she suddenly stopped, and we were unable to make proper contact with her for a while. When we finally did, we found that her contract had somehow been tampered with, resulting in that strange mutation that you call Another Ex-Aid."

"Her contract?" Sayaka said quizzically.

"So, are you saying that the Time Jackers are turning Magical Girls into Another Riders by messing with the contracts they made with you?" Sougo deduced.

"Well, I still require more data in order to make a more concrete assessment, but that's the working theory." Kyubey replied.

Sougo sat back into his chair and crossed his arms, pondering on the new information he had been given. He thought back to Homura and Mami's fight with Another Build, they put up a good fight, but were ultimately out classed. If the Time Jackers came to a Magical Girl and offered them more power in exchange for becoming their candidate for king, than he could possibly understand why they would take it. But then again, Kyubey had said that the Another Riders weren't performing their Magical Girl duties anymore, and while Another Build seemed to have been collecting power in order to challenge him for the throne, Another Ex-Aid was just attacking random people, with no apparent purpose in mind.

_I'm sorry Dr. Hojo, but… I still need your power._

'_If it wasn't to help her fight Witches, than why did Tamaki Iroha make the new contract?_' Sougo pondered to himself.

"…Say, Kyubey, would you mind telling us a bit more about Tamaki-san?" Sougo requested, the messenger of magic tilting his head to the side curiously.

* * *

On the rooftop of Seito University Hospital, Dr. Hojo Emu stood alone, his white coat blowing in the wind as he looked out over the skyline of the city. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a Genm Play Pad, switching the device on and running his personal copy of "Mighty Action R", the "cursed game that can't be beat" of online infamy. Once the game was up and running, he entered in the cheat code: down, down, up, up, right, left, right, left. Finally, he pressed all of the buttons at the same time, and in a flash of pink pixels, the world around him faded away.

Emu now stood in the middle of a barren, dusty field, and standing across from him, snarling at the sudden new arrival, was Another Ex-Aid.

"Iroha-chan, you _have_ to stop this." Emu pleaded, receiving only an angry snarl from the Another Rider in response. "_Please_, snap out it! What Ui-chan really needs right now… is for you to be by her side."

At the mention of the younger girl's name, the creature let out a gasp, relaxing its wild posture as its gaze fell to the ground. A moment later, the creature transformed in a swarm of inky black tendrils, leaving behind Tamaki Iroha, hanging her head and clenching her fists.

"Be by her side… that's all I've _ever_ done…" She said, lifting her head to glare at Emu through the tears welling up on her eyes. "Ever since Ui was born, all I've ever been able to do for her… is stay by her side and watch her suffer! How could you ask me to go back to that!?"

"Iroha-chan…" Emu said with a sympathetic look. He walked up to her and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I understand how you feel, but…"

"No you don't!" Iroha shouted, shoving Emu hard enough to send him falling to the ground. "You doctors are all the same, Ui's just another job to you all; you don't _really_ care about her. Once you've done "all that you can" for her, you'll give up and just pass her on to the next doctor!" Iroha accused, angry, frustrated tears falling from her face as she loomed over Emu. "If you doctors won't cure Ui, than I'll just do it myself… please, just stay out of my way." Iroha declared, turning her back on the prone Emu and began walking away.

"You've got it all wrong!" A familiar voice called out through the plain.

Iroha stopped her retreat, she and Emu turning to the source of the voice to see Sougo, Madoka, and Sayaka appear within the virtual space in a flash of pink pixels.

"You three…" Emu said, recognizing the trio.

"You again!?" Iroha exclaimed, also recognizing the Kamen Rider as she fell into a defensive stance and took the Ex-Aid Anotherwatch in her hand.

"Don't worry, we're just here to talk." Sougo assured, much to Iroha and Emu's surprise.

"Talk… but, why?" Emu inquired as Madoka and Sayaka helped him to his feet. "Didn't you guys want to defeat the monster and save the coma patients?"

"Well, that _was_ the plan, but…" Sayaka began.

"Then we found out about Ui-chan." Madoka said, much to Iroha's surprise.

"What? You… know about Ui?" She asked, Sougo nodding in response.

"That's right, we heard all about it from Kyubey." He said, stepping forward to address Iroha. "You made a contract with him, and used your once in a lifetime miracle to try and save your little sister, isn't that right?"

"…Yes, that's right." Iroha admitted, her gaze falling to the ground as she recalled that moment. "Back then, Ui's condition was declining everyday, and the doctors told us that we should prepare for the worst. I… I didn't care what I had to do, or what I had to become, I would have done anything to save Ui." She recounted, clutching her hands together as tears once again began to fall from her eyes. "But it didn't work… my wish only cured Ui of her symptoms; healed the damage that the disease had done to her body, but not the disease itself. It didn't take long for her to get sick again, the worst it had ever been… if it wasn't for this power that Ora-san gave me… Ui would be…" Iroha struggled to keep composed, her shoulders shaking as she attempted to keep from breaking down and sobbing at the horrid memory, Sougo offering her a sympathetic look before turning back to Emu.

"After we learned about that, I remembered something that Dr. Kagami told us." Sougo said. "He said that even though you cleared the game, you weren't infected like the rest of the coma victims."

"We always thought that was a little weird, so we did some digging." Sayaka spoke up, bringing out her cellphone. "Turns out, there are tones of people online who have managed to clear the "unbeatable game" and were totally fine." She explained, showing off the search results page filled with Let's Players and game reviewers who have cleared the game.

"But we knew that the game and the coma patients had to be connected somehow, so we went back and looked into the victims again, and we found one more thing that linked them all together… they were all girls around Ui-chan's age." Madoka said as she locked eyes with a surprised looking Iroha. "In other words, people who would have the same sized organs as her."

"You weren't just attacking people indiscriminately, you were preparing organ donors for your sister, weren't you?" Sougo deduced, the only answer he received being Iroha looking away with a look of guilt on her face. "Once we figured that out, we went to go see her…"

* * *

"_Idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. It's the diagnosis given to patients who experience frequent heart failure without an apparent cause." Kagami Hiiro explained as he and the trio of teens observed the young, pink haired girl tucked into a bed in the isolation ward. "If she had been admitted here just a year earlier, I could have performed a Kagami-Batista procedure that could have helped treat her, given her a chance at a normal life. But given how it has progressed, even a transplant wouldn't do much good." The genius surgeon lamented. _

_From the other side of the observation window, they could see how bad a shape Tamaki Ui was in, her face was sunken and pale, fresh sweat dropping from her brow, and she was struggling to breath into an oxygen mask._

"_That poor girl…" Madoka said, a crestfallen look on her face._

"_So, what, Dr. Emu is protecting the Another Rider so that Ui-chan can be saved?" Sayaka suggested._

"_If so, than the pediatrician would be egregiously breaking his Hippocratic oath, what with sacrificing the lives of many for a single one." Hiiro said. "In that case, revoking his license would be the most lenient of consequences."_

"_No! Dr. Emu wouldn't do something like that!" Madoka denied. _

"_Madoka, come on, what else could it possibly be?" Sayaka insisted. _

"_Didn't you say that the last time, Sayaka-chan?" Madoka rebuked._

"_W-Well, yeah, but…"_

_Sougo tuned out his bickering classmates as he watched over the ill girl that was the source of all of this madness. Suddenly, Ui began to stir in her sleep, a pained expression on her face as she clenched her hand over her chest. She took a few deep breaths, steadying herself, before turning her head over to her bedside table. Sougo followed her gaze, noticing for the first time the framed photograph that stood on the table. _

_It was of Ui and her sister Iroha, posing in front of some landmark that Sougo didn't recognize, wide smiles on their faces that made it look like they were having the time of their lives just being together. Sougo returned his gaze to Ui, the young girl looking at the photograph longingly as fresh tears began forming in her eyes._

"…_That's it." Sougo said, everything falling into place._

* * *

"Dr. Hojo, you were trying to save Tamaki-san from herself, weren't you." Sougo said, addressing a rather surprised Emu. "You asked us not to fight the Another Rider because you wanted to peacefully convince her to stop this scheme of hers, so that you can save all of the patients, _and_ reunite Ui-chan with her sister, right?"

"…I see, so you all do understand." Emu said, offering the trio a relieved and appreciative smile. He then turned his attention back to Iroha, taking a step forward to confront her.

"Iroha-chan, I know you're just trying to help Ui-chan, but don't you see; even if you do manage to cure her this way, she'll never be able to smile afterwards knowing that her precious older sister had to do such awful things to do it!" Emu stated, Iroha gasping at the accusation. "Protecting Ui-chan is your job as her older sister, but curing the patients so that they can smile again… is_ my_ job as a doctor!" Emu declared, Iroha taken aback by his sudden determination and passion.

"…Shut up." Iroha pleaded under her breath.

"Tamaki-san, I understand how you feel." Sougo said, stepping forward alongside Emu. "To desperately want to save somebody in need, but everybody telling you that you shouldn't." He said, recalling Geiz and his Magical Girl allies. "But even so, you shouldn't sacrifice innocent people to do it!"

"Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!" Iroha screamed, clamping her hands over her ears in a desperate attempt to drown out the unwanted lecture. "While you're standing here lecturing me, Ui is getting sicker and sicker by the second, and I'm the _only_ on that can help her!" She stubbornly asserted. She removed her right hand from her ear to look down at the Ex-Aid Anotherwatch, her frantic scowl hardening into a look a pure determination. "I… I failed to protect her once… I _won't_ fail her again. I don't care what I have to do, or what I have to become, I _will_ save Ui, no matter what!"

With that declaration, Iroha struck Ex-Aid's transformation pose and activated the Anotherwatch.

"_Ex-Aid!_" The corrupted voice of the device exclaimed as Iroha once again transformed into Another Ex-Aid. The creature spared the onlookers a single snarl before turning its back on them and walking away.

"Wait, Iroha-chan! Iroha-chan!" Emu shouted as he attempted to chase after her, only to grab at pink pixels as Another Ex-Aid, and the virtual environment around them, faded away. The quartet now stood on the roof of Seito University Hospital once again.

"Well, so much for talking it out." Sayaka lamented.

"Iroha-chan… what do we do now?" Madoka asked, their last opportunity to resolve the situation up in smoke.

"…Dr. Hojo." Sougo said, gaining Emu's attention. "I know you asked us to stay out of this, but… do you think you can leave the rest to us?"

"Huh?" Emu gasped in surprise. "What do you…?"

"We know a way to stop the Another Rider without hurting Tamaki-san." Sougo asserted.

"Eh, w-we do?" Madoka said quizzically.

"Wait, so you mean… we're going after them after all?" Sayaka realized, a satisfied smirk crossing her face as Sougo nodded his confirmation.

He didn't get a chance to ask Kyubey about it, but considering what he said about Another Ex-Aid, Sougo figured it was safe to say that one of the girls they rescued from Another Build was actually the Magical Girl host for the red and blue monster. None of them were harmed after the defeat of Another Build, so maybe the same would be true for Another Ex-Aid.

"It's… admittedly a bit of a long shot, but if it works, than we can reunite Ui-chan with her sister _and_ save the coma patients!" Sougo claimed.

"Really!?" Emu said, looking over the trio of teens with a mix of doubt, apprehension, but most of all… hope. "Um… if you don't mind me asking, why are you three so invested in this anyway?"

"…Responsibility, I guess?" Sougo replied, much to Emu's confusion. "If healing patients and protecting their smiles is your job as a doctor, than protecting people from the Another Riders, and saving their hosts from themselves… is my job as a Kamen Rider."

"Kamen Rider…" Emu repeated the title. He recalled Homura mention it when they met again earlier that day, but even though he didn't recognize it, it somehow… struck a cord with him, both back then, and right now as well. Eventually, Emu's pensive stare became a satisfied smile. "…I see." He replied. The doctor then reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a familiar looking device.

"Huh… wait, that's…!"

"**A Ridewatch**!?" Madoka and Sayaka exclaimed in unison as the trio looked down at the duel colored Ridewatch. The device had a neon green body with a pink dial and activation button up top, the symbol on the top half of the partially exposed watch face depicting a caricature of the top half of Kamen Rider Ex-Aid's helmet, spiked up hair and goggled eyes and all, and the year 2016 displayed on the bottom.

"I don't know how I got this thing, but I just had the feeling that I should hold onto it until the owner came back for it. And that must be you." Emu explained, before taking Sougo's hand and placing the Ridewatch in his palm.

_According to this book, once Zi-O has claimed the power of a Legend Rider, that power exists _only_ for Zi-O to make use of._

"…No, I can't take this." Sougo said, attempting to hand it back to Emu.

"Why? It does belong to you, doesn't it?" Emu rebuked.

"It's… hard to explain." Sougo said. "Dr. Hojo, you've lost a part of yourself, and if I take this from you… you'll never be able to get it back. It'll be lost, forever, so…"

"That's fine." Emu replied, meeting the teens' surprised looks with a smile. "I'll admit, I don't completely understand what you mean by that, but so long as I have this," Emu pointed to the hospital staff badge hanging from his coat. "Then I don't mind giving up anything else." He said, before his sincere smile fell into a more humble and pleading expression. "Please, save Iroha-chan."

Sougo looked down apprehensively at the Ex-Aid Ridewatch, his grip lax as he hesitated to accept it. He looked back at his companions, silently asking for advice, and he received it when both girls gave him approving nods. He answered back with a nod of his own tightening his grip around the Ridewatch.

"Alright, I'll give it my best shot!" Sougo declared, the Time Mazine responding to his resolve and flying up to the hospital rooftop.

* * *

_\- 2016 A.D. -_

The obnoxious sounds of a video game being played echoed throughout the small parking lot of a storage unit complex in Tokyo. Sitting with her back against one of the support beams was a young girl, staring intently at the Genm Play Pad in her hand as she guided her character through the level. Suddenly, the screen flashed a bright pink, the girl pausing in confusion before noticing the horrific form of Another Ex-Aid looming over her. The girl screamed in terror before the Another Rider grabbed her by the throat and hoisted her up into the air, her feet kicking desperately beneath her.

With a wave of the creature's clawed hand, Another Ex-Aid infect the young girl with its own unique strain of the Bugster Virus, the girl immediately losing consciousness and falling limp onto the ground as Another Ex-Aid released her. The monster then turned to the girl's discarded Play Pad, reaching out towards it as its body began to fade into a mist of pink pixels.

_BANG_

Suddenly, the small white and pink device was blasted apart, the Another Rider's body having no choice but to reform as its escape route was lost.

"Oh no you don't!"

The Another Rider turned its head towards the new voice, and standing on the roof of one of the storage units was none other than Tomoe Mami, clad in her Magical Girl costume and still holding the smoking musket.

"Akemi-san, Myokoin-san, I've found the Another Rider. I'm sending you the location now." Mami said into her Faizphone X as she typed out her location on the keypad.

"_Got it, we're on our way!_" Geiz replied before Mami hung up and folded the phone back up.

She then turned her attention back to Another Ex-Aid, the creature letting out a loud, bestial roar before leaping up into the air and landing on a chocolate block that materialized under its feet. The creature then jumped again, but Mami was prepared, discarding her used up musket and summoning an identical one to take its place. She quickly took aim, aiming not where the Another Rider was, but where it was going to be, and the moment it landed on another of its conjured chocolate blocks, she pulled the trigger, blasting apart the perch and sending Another Ex-Aid falling to the ground bellow.

Discarding the second musket, Mami leaped into the air herself, summoning four new muskets as she twirled in the air. She was right over the Another Rider when she willed the weapons to fire, Another Ex-Aid just barely managing to roll out of the way of the sudden barrage of bullets. Mami landed gracefully, standing protectively over Another Ex-Aid's first ever victim while the monster stumbled back to its feet. It let out a low, menacing growl at the Magical Girl, but Mami met its glare head on, a confident smirk appearing on her face.

It was then that Another Ex-Aid noticed the rustling of the bullets that were imbedded into the concrete ground, the spherical pellets breaking apart and sprouting as four tendrils of bright yellow ribbons. Another Ex-Aid leapt ten feet back, just narrowly avoiding the first two ribbons that attempted to ensnare it, but Mami had anticipated that, the third and fourth ribbon extending and chasing after its prey. Realizing the danger, Another Ex-Aid conjured yet another chocolate block, the ribbons coiling around it instead, before breaking the platform open with a high kick, ripping apart the ribbon in the process and revealing a silver colored Energy Item that depicted a sword breaking off of a silhouette's chest.

"_Iron Up!_" The creature announced as it collected the item, the energy transforming its body into solid metal.

The concrete below Another Ex-Aid's feet cracked with each step it took towards Mami, demonstrating to her its increased weight and power that she couldn't hope to match head on. As such, the Magical Girl ducked and rolled under the creature's swing, its solid steel arm ripping through the support beam like it was nothing. The moment Mami righted herself, she sent out two ribbons from her sleeve to wrap around the Another Rider's unconscious victim, pulling her to safety away from the falling debris of the beam. Realizing her own ammunition would be useless; Mami pulled out the Faizphone X and entered in the code 2-7-9-Enter.

"_Charge Mode!_" The device announced as Mami tilted the screen half down into its Blaster Mode.

Just as Another Ex-Aid was about to approach, Mami pointed the futuristic weapon at it and pulled the trigger, sending a high output beam of energy shooting out of the barrel and into creature's chest. The beam of the laser dissipated harmlessly off of Another Ex-Aid's metallic body, but the sheer force of the beam was enough to force it back, sparks arcing off the soles of its metal feet as it rooted its stance to prevent from being blown back. The Another Rider struggled against the beam, taking a single step forward, then another, then another, gradually overcoming the force and approaching the Magical Girl… just as she planned.

Suddenly, Mami halted the beam, taking a step to the side as the metallic monster stumbled passed her. Without missing a beat, Mami sent out two ribbons to entangle the stumbling Another Rider, one wrapping around one of its flailing legs, while the other constricted its arms against its torso. With a mighty tug, Mami swung the Another Rider around her once before smashing it straight through the wall of one of the storage units. Inside, Another Ex-Aid untangled itself from the now inert ribbons and scrambled to its feet. However, before it could return to the fight, a pipe bomb suddenly blinked into existence before detonating a second later. Mami winced as the storage unit went up in smoke, along with whosever personal belongings just happened to be inside.

"Perhaps that was a bit much, Akemi-san." Mami said as Homura suddenly appeared by her side.

"It can't be helped, Magical Girls don't usually have to worry about collateral damage fighting in Labyrinths." Homura dismissed with a hair flip.

"…I suppose so." Mami awkwardly conceded.

Suddenly, with a loud, guttural roar, Another Ex-Aid leaped out of the plume of smoke, Mami and Homura separating in order to avoid the pounce. Mami summoned a musket to retaliate, but Another Ex-Aid kicked the weapon out of her hand with a front kick before chambering its leg back and throwing a side kick at Homura. The raven-haired Magical Girl managed to block the strike with her shield, but just as she reached into it for a weapon, Another Ex-Aid stepped into a spinning crescent kick that sent Homura tumbling to the ground.

It then turned its attention back to Mami, who opted to create some distance between them, and with a wave of her arms, summoned forth eight muskets, four at each side, and fired them at the Another Rider. Unprepared for the barrage, Another Ex-Aid brought its arms up to guard its face, stumbling back as it was pelted with the magical bullets. After being forced a good three feet back, Homura appeared right under it and swept its legs out from under it, sending the Another Rider falling flat on its back and giving Mami the perfect chance to ensnare it with her ribbons. With her prey now suspended helplessly in the air, Mami willed her muskets to transform back into ribbons and weave together into a single giant hand cannon. With a playful wink, the fuse lit, the spark traveling down and igniting the explosive mechanism in the oversized firearm.

"Tiro Finale!" Mami shouted as a ball of fiery, magical energy erupted from the barrel of her weapon.

Another Ex-Aid was engulfed in the fiery blast, letting out an agonizing scream before its bindings burned away in the inferno and it fell hard onto the ground. Mami and Homura watched as the creature's body began to glitch, in the process of fading away into pixels before it suddenly reformed. Another Ex-Aid let out a menacing growl as it slowly rose back onto its feet, completely unharmed from the finishing blow just as Another Build had endlessly persisted against Geiz. With that in mind, Mami and Homura brandished their weapons, preparing for round 2, but just when Another Ex-Aid was about to charge in, the sound of a motorcycle engine echoed through the lot.

In came Kamen Rider Geiz, fully transformed and riding atop the Ride Striker with Hojo Emu sat further down the seat. Geiz brandished the Zikan Zaxe as the duo were fast approaching, the Rider giving a mighty swing and cleaving the blade across Another Ex-Aid's chest as they passed, sending the creature tumbling to the ground. With that, the Ride Striker skid to a halt, Emu removing his helmet as he and Geiz dismounted.

"What the… a doppelganger of me!?" Emu said, shocked at the sight of the grotesque parody of his own Rider form.

"More or less." Geiz replied as he returned the Ride Striker to its Ridewatch form and stored it."

"It's just as Zi-O claimed, only the power of Ex-Aid can defeat it." Mami asserted.

"I see… alright then!" Emu said, pulling out and equipping the Gamer Driver.

"_Mighty Action X!_" The Rider Gashat announced as Emu activated it, a wave of pink pixelated energy pulsing throughout the area as he swung the gadget round dynamically in his Henshin pose.

"Dai-Henshin!"

"_Gashatto! Gachan! Level Up! Mighty Jump! Mighty Kick! Mighty, Mighty Action X!_" The Driver sang as Emu inserted the Rider Gashat and pulled the lever. The doctor was coated in pink pixels before his body fused with the projected game screen, transforming Emu into Kamen Rider Ex-Aid Action Gamer Level 2. However, the Rider's form briefly began to flicker with static, Ex-Aid looking down at his flickering form in concern.

"We're running out of time." Homura deduced.

"We have to work fast." Geiz concurred, brandishing his axe as he and the girls stood at Ex-Aid's side.

"Alright, let's get this mirror match started!" Ex-Aid declared with a flick of his wrist.

Another Ex-Aid looked over the quartet that challenged it, instinctually sensing how dangerous Ex-Aid was in particular. With that in mind, just as the quartet were about to charge in, Another Ex-Aid let out a loud roar, summoning forth a mist of orange pixels from its body that coalesced into a dozen Bugster Soldiers.

"What the…!" Ex-Aid exclaimed at the sudden reinforcements.

Before the heroes could react, the Bugster Soldiers surrounded them, cutting them off from Another Ex-Aid as they were all forced to fight them off. Another Ex-Aid leaped into the fray as well, continuing its scuffle with Homura and Mami while Geiz and Ex-Aid were busy dealing with the Bugster Soldiers.

* * *

_\- 2018 A.D. -_

"Alright, are you guys ready?" Sougo said as he sat down at the controls of the Time Mazine.

"Yes!" Madoka replied.

"Yeah, let's go!" Sayaka cheered as well.

Sougo set the date on the holographic screen and launched the Time Mazine into the air, a portal into the timestream appearing overhead. However, just as they were about to cross the threshold…

_CRASH_

"**WHAAA!**" The trio all exclaimed as something suddenly crashed into them on the starboard side of the Time Mazine.

The force of the collision was enough to send the Time Mazine falling out of the sky, taking Sougo everything he had to prevent the vessel from crashing into the hospital building. Instead, they crashed into the parking lot behind the hospital, Madoka and Sayaka sprawled out on the port side of the cockpit while Sougo sat jostled in the pilot seat.

"Ugh… what the heck was that!?" Sayaka shouted as she rubbed her head and rolled off of Madoka.

"I think we were hit by something." Sougo replied.

"By what?" Madoka asked, Sougo unable to give an answer.

After a moment of recalibration, the holographic screen reappeared before him, displaying a video feed of their approaching assailant.

"Is that… a pirate ship?" Sougo said baffled by what he saw.

Indeed, the vessel that descended upon them did in fact have the shape of a mechanical pirate ship, complete with tattered sails hanging on the masts, and a hornlike cannon placed on the front end of the boat. The strangest parts about it however, were the ghostly face carved on the front below the cannon, and the reptilian like arms that hung at the sides of the vessel.

"Pardon the interruption, but I can't let you interfere again, Zi-O." A voice called out from the coms of the assaulting vessel.

"That voice… you're the Time Jacker Heure!" Sougo realized.

"That's right! I'm so happy you remember me!" Heure cheered with ominous joy.

Realizing the danger they were in, Sougo attempted to get the Time Mazine back into the air, but as expected, Heure wasn't going to make it that easy for them.

_BOOM_

A single blast from the canon on Heure's vessel sent the Time Mazine back onto the ground, Madoka and Sayaka tumbling through the cockpit and landing in a pile on the port side. At this moment, more components came out from within the mechanical ship and assembled themselves into a humanoid body, the tattered sails forming long shoulder spikes and the canon face forming the head of Heure's Time Mazine's Battle Mode.

"As much as I'd hate to give Ora the satisfaction of succeeding where I failed, I can't let you take out another one of our candidates." Heure said as he made his Time Mazine stomp Sougo's into the asphalt.

"Gah… alright, you want a fight, then you've got one!" Sougo declared as he brought out his Ziku Driver.

"_Ziku Driver!_" The belt announced as Sougo strapped it on. He through brought out the Zi-O Ridewatch, turned the dial, and activated it.

"_Zi-O!_"

"Henshin!" Sougo announced as he slid the Ridewatch into the Ziku Driver.

As the standby music began playing, the jets of the Time Mazine gained a sudden boost, allowing the Time Mazine to force its way out from underneath Heure's foot. With the cockpit now upright, Sougo stood from the pilot's chair, hit the button on top of the belt, and spun the Driver back into place.

"_Rider Time! Kamen Rider Zi-O!_"

As Sougo's transformation began, the Time Mazine underwent a transformation of its own, the engines and stabilizers folding out into a more humanoid shape and a circular head appearing on top. Once Zi-O's transformation finished, the visor snapping into place, the Zi-O Ridewatch began to glow, transforming the blank face of the Time Mazine into a large-scale replica of the watch face, that is, the faceplate of Zi-O's helmet. At that moment, the engines were cut, the Time Mazine shaking the ground as it landed upright in its Battle Mode.

"_WHOA!_ How long have you been sitting on _this!_" Sayaka exclaimed in delight, marveling at the image of the humanoid robot on the screen within the cockpit.

"Hang on to something!" Zi-O advised as he sat back down at the controls.

Madoka and Sayaka did as instructed, grabbing onto whatever solid piece of equipment they could find and Sougo guided the Time Mazine to march forward. With a swing of the left handle, the Time Mazine threw a left punch into the chest of Heure's Time Mazine, followed up immediately after by a swing of the right handle for a right punch. Unfortunately, this follow up strike was blocked by the ghostly robot, but Zi-O was undeterred, thrusting both handles forward to throw a solid front kick right into his adversary's chest, sending the machine stumbling back.

Heure almost immediately retaliated with a right hook, but Zi-O's Time Mazine ducked under it and stepped behind Heure's Time Mazine. However, Heure quickly turned around to face them again, and without missing a beat, grabbed the hero's robot by the shoulders. The two mechanical giants struggled against each other for a moment, but Heure's Time Mazine won out, forcing Zi-O back and grappling him against the wall of the Hospital. With the enemy subdued, Heure's Time Mazine reared its horned face back, Zi-O realizing at just the last second what Heure was trying to do.

"Look out!" Zi-O cried as he turned the controls sharply to the left. The Time Mazine followed suit, tilting its body in the same direction as Heure's Time Mazine rammed its cannon horn straight into the wall behind them. However, the sudden sharp movement was enough to jostle the girls from their positions, Sayaka falling to the ground at Zi-O's feet, while Madoka was slammed into the port side wall of the cockpit, the sound of her head hitting the machinery ringing through the small room.

"Madoka!" Sayaka shouted as she scrambled to her friend's side.

"Huh?" Zi-O gasped as he looked over to the sight of Sayaka cradling an unconscious Madoka in her arms. "Oh no!"

Unfortunately, Zi-O did not have the luxury to worry about the pinkette, as Heure's Time Mazine pulled its cannon horn out of the wall and reared it back once again to strike at him.

"Why you…!" Zi-O growled, his grip tightening around the handles before swinging the left.

At the same time, the Time Mazine landed a "kidney punch" on Heure's Time Mazine, staggering it enough for Zi-O to break free of the grapple, pushing Heure back as it stumbled to regain its balance. Recognizing the opening, Zi-O reared back the right handle, and with a determined shout, swung it forward, throwing a powerful right uppercut that nailed Heure's Time Mazine right under its chin, sending the already off kilter robot falling flat on its back.

"Now's our chance!" Zi-O said as he pulled back on the controls.

The Time Mazine then folded back up into its Vehicle Mode, firing its engines and flying up into the air and straight into a timestream portal that appeared overhead, leaving Heure sitting alone in his damaged Time Mazine.

"Hmph, impressive… just as I'd expect from Zi-O." Heure said with a knowing smirk, his irritation at his defeat outweighed by his petty delight that Ora's plan was about to meet the same fate as his own.

* * *

"Madoka? Madoka! Come on, say something!" Sayaka pleaded, shaking the pinkette in her arms while giving her a few light smacks on her cheeks in an attempt to wake her up.

Zi-O squirmed in his seat, his attention divided between flying them through the timestream and worrying about Madoka. Eventually however, Sayaka's haphazard efforts bore fruit, Madoka's eyes fluttering open as she let out a pained moan.

"Ugh~… my head hurts." Madoka whined, rubbing the back of her head where she had hit the wall. Sayaka and Zi-O both sighed in relief as Madoka sat up, dizzy and in pain, but very much alive.

"Geez Madoka, you had me worried there for a second." Sayaka laughed it off, casually wiping the nervous sweat from her brow.

"I'm so sorry, Kaname-san!" Zi-O frantically apologized, lowering his head to her. "Um… are you alright."

"Y-Yeah, I think so, I just hit my head a little, that's all." Madoka assured them both, trying her hardest not to wince as she rubbed her fingers against the lump that had formed on her head.

"Thank goodness…" Zi-O sighed, reluctant to turn his full attention back to steering the Time Mazine.

But steer it he did, keeping it as steady as possible in order for Sayaka to help Madoka back to her feet. The two of them fretted over Madoka for a while longer, the pinkette reassuring them that she was ok, and before they knew it, they had arrived at their destination.

* * *

_\- 2016 A.D. -_

"_Stretch!_" Another Ex-Aid exclaimed as it absorbed an Energy Item.

It then leaped up into the air, evading a rain of bullets from Homura's machine gun, and landed on the roof of one of the storage units. Homura immediately aimed her weapon up at the monster, Mami doing the same with six rifled muskets that appeared around her, but before any trigger can be pulled, Another Ex-Aid threw its fist towards Homura, its arm extending out all the way down to the ground and clocking her across the face, making her drop her gun. The Another Rider then retracted its fist and extended the other towards Mami, who brought her muskets together into a spinning shield that guarded against the rubber-like limb. The moment its arm retracted, Mami repositioned her weapons and opened fire. Another Ex-Aid responded by extending its legs, going unnaturally bowlegged, and letting the bullets slip right between them.

It retaliated with an outside-to-inside crescent kick with its extended leg, Mami and Homura ducking under it easily enough, but they were knocked to the ground by the follow up spinning crescent kick with the other leg.

"Mami! Homura!" Geiz exclaimed as he saw the girls go down, finishing off one last Bugster Soldier before attempting to come to their aid.

Unfortunately, Another Ex-Aid wasn't going to let this happen, the monster leaping off of the roof and landing right in front of Geiz, landing a quick punch before leaping up onto another rooftop. Before Geiz could even figure out where it ran off to, Another Ex-Aid leapt down and kicked Geiz in the gut before leaping up to a nearby chocolate block, only to come right back down and kick Geiz in the face, the Rider recovering with a back roll.

"Myokoin-san!" Mami said as she and Homura attempted to come to Geiz's defense. Unfortunately, a new wave of Bugster Soldiers appeared around them, the girls quickly brandishing their weapons and firing at the faceless mooks.

"Dr. Hojo, you need to defeat the Another Rider, quickly!" Homura pleaded to Ex-Aid.

"I'm trying… but the mobs just keep coming!" Ex-Aid replied as he desperately tried to fight off the Bugster Soldiers, brandishing the Gashacon Breaker in its Hammer Mode.

Meanwhile, Geiz was trading blows with Another Ex-Aid, the creature hopping in and out of melee range and making it difficult for Geiz to land any solid blows on it. Not only that, but every so often a few Bugster Soldiers would hop into the fray as well, constantly keeping Geiz on his toes.

"Damn it, we don't have time for this!" Geiz said in frustration as he fought off the Bugster Soldiers.

"_Time Mazine!_" Geiz and company looked towards the sky at the familiar voice, just in time to see Zi-O's Time Mazine emerge from a timestream portal overhead. The vessel flew down, hovering just around ground level as Zi-O, Madoka, and Sayaka hopped out, before flying off into the distance.

"Zi-O!?" Geiz exclaimed in shock, the momentary distraction giving Another Ex-Aid the chance to charge in and pin Geiz against one of the support beams of the storage units.

Zi-O saw Geiz struggle to break free from the Another Rider's grasp and immediately came to his aid. He grabbed the creature by the shoulders and pulled it off of Geiz with a mighty tug, landing a solid front kick on its chest to send it tumbling to the ground.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing here!?" Geiz demanded, grabbing the other Rider by the collar of his chest plate. "Are you trying to become the Demon King after all!?"

"Of course not!" Zi-O denied, shoving Geiz's arm away. "I'm just here to keep a promise to Dr. Hojo!"

"Huh? A promise… to _me_?" The Ex-Aid of 2016 said quizzically from across the battlefield. "…Wait, who are you?"

Unfortunately, Zi-O didn't have the opportunity to explain as Another Ex-Aid stumbled back onto its feet and pounced onto Zi-O and Geiz. The two Riders separated to avoid the attack, but Geiz was send staggering back after receiving a back handed fist to the face, the Another Rider following up with a roundhouse kick that Zi-O managed to duck under.

"Wait, Tamaki-san, we don't have to fight!" Zi-O pleaded with the girl inside the monster as he desperately blocked the flurry of blows thrown at him. Eventually, Zi-O managed to step out of the way of a particularly heavy straight punch, grabbing the extended arm to hold the creature in place. "Listen to me! There might be another way to save Ui-chan! You don't have to go around hurting innocent people like this!"

His words fell on deaf ears as Another Ex-Aid struggled viciously against Zi-O's grip. Eventually, the creature freed its arm and threw two punches at Zi-O that were easily blocked, but at the cost of leaving his gut open for a front kick that sent him rolling onto the ground.

"Tamaki-san, please…!" He pleaded one final time as he rolled into a kneeling position, only for Another Ex-Aid to brandish its clawed hands and charge forward with an animalistic growl.

"What is he doing?" Homura wondered aloud as she shot at the surrounding Bugster Soldiers.

"I think he's trying to appeal to the Another Rider's host." Mami deduced, using her ribbons to entangle a few Bugsters before blowing them away with a volley of musket fire.

"That's right." Madoka said from the sidelines. "We weren't able to convince her to stop in 2018, so we figured that if we came back to before she was in too deep, we might have a chance. But… something's wrong." The pinkette fretted as she watched Zi-O fight off Another Ex-Aid.

"Yeah, it's not even that she's not listening, it's more like she doesn't even understand what he's saying. What gives!?" Sayaka said quizzically.

"Well, this _is_ the first time she would be using the Another Rider's powers. Perhaps she is simply overwhelmed by them, driving her into this frenzy." Mami suggested, much to the girls' dismay.

"Damn it… guess we're doing this the hard way after all!" Zi-O lamented as it became clear that talking Iroha down was out of the question.

"_Zikan Girade! Jū!_" Zi-O summoned the Zikan Girade in its gun mode, firing of a short burst of laser blasts to give keep Another Ex-Aid at bay and give him some room to breath. He then charged back in, his weapon announcing "_Ken!_" as he swung out the blade that extended into its sword mode.

"_Zikan Zaxe! Yu-mi!_" Meanwhile, Geiz summoned his own weapon, taking aim at the scuffling Zi-O and Another Ex-Aid and pulling back on the lever to charge the arrows.

He hesitated for a moment, looking between the future Demon King fighting off his competition for the throne, and Kamen Rider Ex-Aid being hounded by Bugster Soldiers.

"…Tch." Geiz clicked his teeth in frustration as he changed his target, letting go of the lever and letting a volley of yellow energy arrows fall upon the Bugster Soldiers.

With a path now clear, Geiz rushed to Ex-Aid's side, firing more arrows at the Bugster Soldiers to keep them from closing back in on them.

"We'll hold off the small fry, you just hurry and defeat the Another Rider!"

"Got it!" Ex-Aid quickly complied as he tapped the A button on the Gashacon Breaker.

"_Ja-kin!_" The weapon announced as the spikes on the top folded out into a long pink blade.

With sword in hand, Ex-Aid dashed forward and slashed through the Bugsters that stood in his path, coming upon the Another Rider as it had Zi-O in a grapple, the wrist of his sword arm in one hand and his throat in the other. Ex-Aid came down on his doppelganger with a horizontal slash across its back, the creature releasing Zi-O from its grip and turning to face the new assailant only to receive an upward slash across its chest. Ex-Aid then kicked it away with a hopping side kick, giving Zi-O a moment to recollect himself.

"Thanks for the save." Zi-O said before he and the Legend Rider brandished their swords against the recovering Another Rider.

The duo rushed in, Another Ex-Aid ducking under Zi-O's high horizontal slash, and side stepping away from Ex-Aid's two-handed downward slash. It attempted to retaliate with a swipe of its clawed hand, but Ex-Aid avoided it by jumping up and back flipping right over Another Ex-Aid's head. As the creature followed its counterpart's path overhead, Zi-O took the opportunity to rush in and slash through the Another Rider's exposed abdomen. Another Ex-Aid grunted in pain, it's attention now focused on Zi-O as it brought up an arm to block a follow up slash to its face. However, once Ex-Aid landed behind him, the Rider tapped the B button of the Gashacon Breaker twice to charge the blade with energy, before unleashing a powerful slash on the Another Rider's back. The creature turned to face Ex-Aid, only to receive a follow up Blade B Slash straight across the chest, making Another Ex-Aid stagger back, which allowed both Riders to land a side kick on its chest that sent the monster flying back.

"Alright, time to finish this!" Ex-Aid declared with a flick of his wrist.

"_Gashun!_" The Rider Gashat announced as Ex-Aid removed it from the Gamer Driver. However, just as he was about to slide it into the slot on the back of the Gashacon Breaker, his body began to flicker with static, Ex-Aid staggering back before his Level 2 form faded away in a mist of golden particles.

"What the…?" Emu exclaimed, looking down and patting his waist where the Gamer Driver once hung from.

"Oh no…" Zi-O said with dread in his voice.

"Damn it… we ran out of time!" Geiz cursed as he desperately tried to fight his way through the Bugster Soldiers, hacking through them with his Zikan Zaxe in axe mode.

In the meantime, Another Ex-Aid hopped back onto its feet, locking eyes with Emu and letting out a satisfied growl, as if noticing his newfound vulnerability. Zi-O stood between the creature and its former counterpart, prepared to fight it off as Another Ex-Aid charged forward. However, it only managed to take a few steps before a volley of bullets was shot at the ground near its feet, stopping it in its tracks. It turned towards the assailant, ducking out of the way of one of Mami's spent muskets as she swung it at its head. It then kicked the girl away before she could swing again, but that just gave Homura a clear shot to fire a salvo of sub-machine gunfire at it from across the battlefield. The moment she had to stop to reload, Another Ex-Aid cleared the distance between them in a single bound, engaging Homura in fisticuffs with Mami now being the one providing cover fire from a distance.

"What are we going to do now?" Madoka asked as she watched the now futile battle unfold.

"There is only one thing that _can _be done now." Madoka and Sayaka jumped in surprise as Woz suddenly appeared beside them, his gaze fixed solely on Zi-O and the now powerless Emu. "It seems your adversaries have failed to circumvent history's true path. Now then, my Lord, partake in the Power of Ex-Aid, and take your rightful place in history!"

"What? No!" Homura shouted, about to sprint over and stop Zi-O, only for Another Ex-Aid to send her tumbling to the ground with a well-placed punch to the face. Mami thought quickly and restrained the Another Rider with her ribbons, but that unfortunately left the Bugster Soldiers free to swarm Homura as she stood back up.

Meanwhile, Zi-O looked down at the Ridewatch holder on his right wrist, where the Ex-Aid Ridewatch was held.

"That's right, only Ex-Aid can defeat Ex-Aid." Zi-O recalled, removing the Ex-Aid Ridewatch from its slot. "But, if I use this, then the true Ex-Aid will…"

"Don't do it Nakazawa-kun!" Madoka pleaded. "There has to be another way!"

"We've _tried_ the other way, this is the only option left! Do it!" Sayaka countered.

"Zi-O! If you use that Ridewatch, then our truce is _through_! You hear me!?" Geiz shouted over the swarming Bugster Soldiers.

"Now then, what is your decision, my Lord?" Woz inquired one final time.

"I… I…" Zi-O stuttered, unable to answer. Since the moment he was told of the consequences of his battle with Another Build, Zi-O had been wracking his brain for a solution to this very dilemma, wondering just what coarse of action he would take when faced with that very decision again. Now, the moment of truth was here, and all he could do was stare down at the Ex-Aid Ridewatch, tightening his grip around the small, colorful device as he frantically weighed the options in his head. "… I can't…"

"What are you waiting for!?" Zi-O was brought out of his thoughts by the urgent voice of Emu, the Rider looking up to meet the now powerless man's gaze. "That watch can help you defeat that monster, right? Hurry up and use it!"

"But… but if I use this, then your history as a Kamen Rider will be lost, _forever!_" Zi-O cautioned, offering Emu the luxury of all of the facts before he made such a rash decision.

"…That's ok." Everybody was surprised by Emu's reply, his determined expression not wavering for a second. "I may be a Kamen Rider, but I'm a doctor first and foremost." Emu looked back at Another Ex-Aid's first victim, leaning against one of the storage unit doors unconscious. "If it means curing the patient, so that they can smile again… then I'm willing to pay that price!" Emu declared, once again meeting Zi-O's gaze, his eyes showing no hint of doubt or hesitation.

_So long as I have this… then I don't mind giving up anything else._

"…Dr. Hojo." Zi-O was speechless; to think that Emu had held that same conviction as a fledgling intern as he would as a full fledged doctor. As the Rider looked between the Another Rider, the Ridewatch, and then back to the Legend Rider whose fate hung the balance, he felt his apprehensions fade away, spurred on by the approving nod that Emu gave him. His decision made, Zi-O turned the dial on the Ridewatch, revealing the faceplate of Kamen Rider Ex-Aid, and hit the button on top.

"_Ex-Aid!_" The device announced, regaining Geiz and the Magical Girls' attention as Zi-O slid the Ridewatch into the left slot of the Ziku-Driver.

The screen flashed with pink clock faces as the standby jingle played, Zi-O hitting the button up top and then spinning the Driver back into place with a determined grunt.

"_Rider Time! Kamen Rider Zi-O!_" The Driver sang as the Ex-Aid Ridewatch projected a set of pink letters that read "_Ex-Aid_" in Katakana (エグゼイド).

A set of armor then appeared before Zi-O, materializing in a projection of a Rider Gashat. As expected, the armor was modeled after Ex-Aid, the chest plate resembling the game controller-like screen on Ex-Aid's own chest plate, and the shoulder pads were shaped like two pink Rider Gashats, sans the video game cover art. The helmet even resembled Ex-Aid's Level 2 helmet, spiked up hair and all, with the addition of Zi-O's clock hand antenna, and encased around the arms of the armor, were a pair of gauntlets that resembled the hammer mode of Ex-Aid's weapon: the Gashacon Breaker Breakers. The armor pieces then struck a dynamic pose, raising one arm in the air while the other rested on its hip, before Zi-O kicked the armor pieces apart, sending them flying over and colliding into the Another Rider, freeing Homura and Mami from their deadlock.

"_Armor Time!_" The Ziku-Driver announced as Zi-O jumped into the air, the flying armor pieces attaching themselves to him one by one as he hopped from chocolate block to chocolate block. "…_Level Up! Ex-Aid!_" The Driver sang as Zi-O landed on the roof of the storage facility, armor fully equipped and the letters falling into place to form the visor.

"Ta-da!" Zi-O cried as he stood tall and proud, everyone looking up at him in either amazement or horror.

"Rejoice! He is the heir to the powers of all Riders! Traversing time and space, he is the Ruler of Time that shall reign over past and future! His name is Kamen Rider Zi-O Ex-AidArmor! On this day, he has once again obtained the power of a Legend Rider!" Woz declared in reverence before Zi-O leapt off of the roof all the way back over to Emu's side.

"With no continues…!" Emu began with a flick of his wrist.

"…I'll give clearing this game a shot!" Zi-O finished with a determined pump of his hammer-like fist.

With that, Zi-O charged back into the fray, Another Ex-Aid doing the same with a guttural roar, both gamer Riders meeting in the middle and rearing their fists back for a punch. Due to the slight increase in range the Gashacon Breaker Breakers allotted him, Zi-O's strike was the first to connect, a colorful graphic of the word "hit" spelled in Katakana (ヒット) appearing right where the gauntlet struck the creature's chest. Another Ex-Aid staggered back from the heavy strike, but managed to duck under Zi-O's follow up swing with the left arm, and then blocked a third high swing from the right, only to leave itself open for a jab to the gut that made it stagger back.

Zi-O attempted to keep up the pressure, but Another Ex-Aid managed to block two of his follow up swings and then landed a front kick that made pushed Zi-O a few feet back. Another Ex-Aid quickly closed the distance, its arms extended in an attempt to grab hold of Zi-O, but it only grabbed air as the Rider jumped into the air to avoid it, landing on a floating chocolate block above. As the Another Rider staggered to keep its balance from the failed tackle, Zi-O tapped the B button twice on his right hand gauntlet, before leaping back down and smashing the hammer face right against the creatures head, sending it falling hard on its back. Zi-O attempted to smash his other gauntlet into the prone monster, but Another Ex-Aid managed to roll out of the way and stagger back to its feet.

With a wave of its hand, Another Ex-Aid summoned a chocolate block to its side, only to kick it open and reveal a yellow colored Energy Item that depicted a fast running silhouette.

"_Speed Up!_" It said as it absorbed the Energy Item and began glowing with a yellow aura.

As Zi-O ran up to continue his onslaught, Another Ex-Aid vanished in a yellow blur just as Zi-O swung at it.

"Huh? What the…?" Zi-O's confusion was answered when the same yellow blur rushed passed and hit him in the back of the head. Zi-O swung his hammer fist behind, hitting only air before Another Ex-Aid rushed around to the other side and hit his exposed back again. Zi-O swung again, missing by a mile, before Another Ex-Aid rushed back in and knocked him to the ground with a kick to the chest, speeding away before the Rider could retaliate.

"Grr… he's too fast!" Zi-O lamented as he struggled back to his feet, just narrowly avoiding another drive by punch to stay standing.

"It's the "Speed Up" item, you won't be able to catch it while its active!" Emu said from the sidelines, gaining Zi-O's attention. "Hurry, hit the B button three times and then slam your hammers on the ground!"

"Uh… ok!" Zi-O complied, not one to ignore the advice of the Genius Gamer M. He jumped into the air to avoid another drive by attack, tapping the B button on both of the Gashacon Breaker Breakers while in the air, and upon his descent, he slammed both gauntlets into the ground, sending a massive shockwave all across the battlefield. A few grounded chocolate blocks shattered open from the attack, everyone present struggling to keep their balance, including the Another Rider, who fell face first into the pavement.

"It worked!"

"Next, grab that Energy Item, the red one over there!" Emu advised, drawing Zi-O's attention to a red Energy Item that was revealed by the shockwave, depicting a silhouette flexing its muscles.

"Got it!" Zi-O said as he rushed over and did as he was told.

"_Muscle Up!_" The Ziku-Driver announced as Zi-O absorbed the Energy Item, the glowing red Aura collecting into the Gashacon Breaker Breakers.

Just as Another Ex-Aid was able to stand back up, Zi-O had rushed up to it and landed an upward swing with his right gauntlet, sending the Another Rider flying up into the air from the increased force of the Muscle Up Energy Item. Without missing a beat, Zi-O jumped up to hit the airborne monster further into the sky, summoning a Chocolate Block in order to leap off of it and do it again, and again. At the very apex of their ascent, Zi-O used the last of the Muscle Up energy to slam Another Ex-Aid back onto the ground.

"Damn it… you're in the way!" Geiz said, having had just about enough of the swarming Bugster Soldiers. He removed the Geiz Ridewatch from the Ziku-Driver and placed it in a slot on the Zikan Zaxe.

"_Finish Time!_" The weapon announced as it began charging with red energy that coalesced into the axe blade. "_Geiz! Zakkuri Cutting!_" It shouted as Geiz pulled the trigger, unleashing the energy in two powerful arcing slashes that each left behind a clock like energy wave, defeating the remaining Bugster Soldiers.

Meanwhile, Mami had managed to wrangle up all of the Bugster Soldiers on her and Homura's side, binding them together with her ribbons and launching them into the air as she summoned forth her giant hand cannon.

"Tiro Finale!" She cried as she unleashed her signature finishing attack, finally destroying them.

Finally, Zi-O landed back on the ground, Another Ex-Aid writhing in pain as it struggled to get back to its feet.

"Alright, time for the finisher!" Emu said, mimicking the motion of placing the Rider Gashat into the Kimewaza Slot Holder.

"_Finish Time! Ex-Aid!_" The Ridewatches said as Zi-O tapped their buttons and spun the Ziku-Driver. Zi-O brandished the Gashacon Breakers as they began charging with pink and green graphic energy, the Driver announcing "_Critical Time Break!_" as those very words, written in Katakana, were projected right beside him.

"Huh?" Zi-O looked at the graphic prelude in confusion, unsure of what exactly he was supposed to do with it. "Hmm… Oh!" After a moment, he figured out it, throwing the prelude into the air before pounding down on the ground, creating a concentrated shockwave that sent Another Ex-Aid flying into the air again. Zi-O jumped even higher, the letters of the prelude coming together to make a straight path towards the Another Rider.

"This is it!" Zi-O declared as he rushed through the letters gauntlets first, the hammer faces charging with more energy with each letter they absorbed.

"That's… not quite right." Emu awkwardly lamented.

Regardless, at the end of the line of letters, Zi-O unleashed a flurry of punches on the still airborne Another Ex-Aid. Each hit projected a letter of the attack's name until the very last strike, which produced a graphic of the word "perfect" written in Katakana (パーフェクト), along with a fiery explosion that engulfed Another Ex-Aid as it cried in agony. Out from the cloud of smoke, Zi-O landed with a dynamic pose, before the Another Rider's host, Tamaki Iroha, fell to the ground, unconsciousness.

"Iroha-chan!" Madoka shouted as she, Sayaka, and Emu rushed to the girl's side. "Iroha-chan? Iroha-chan, can you here me?" Madoka asked as she tried to shake the girl awake, Emu appearing a moment later and checking her vital signs.

In the moment of panic, the group failed to notice the Ex-Aid Anotherwatch fall to the ground a few feet away and shatter apart, releasing a glowing pink ball of light that fused into Iroha, the girl finally stirring awake as Emu confirmed her pulse. Zi-O let out a sigh of relief, removing the Ridewatches from his Driver to undo the transformation before approaching the others, who helped the dazed Iroha sit up on the pavement.

"Ugh… w-where am I? I…" Iroha stammered as she tried to get a hold of herself.

"It's ok, you're safe now." Madoka assured her.

"Huh? Who are…?" Iroha's dazed question suddenly died on her tongue as realization struck her. "Ui? Ui! Where's my little sister!?" She panicked, standing up and looking around frantically for any sign of the girl that she had sold her soul twice for.

"Don't worry, Tamaki-san!" Sougo said, gaining her attention. "Ui-chan's gonna be fine, we know somebody who can help."

"Huh?" Iroha gasped, eyes wide with surprise and hope. The group then all turned to Emu, much to his confusion.

"Tamaki-san's little sister is sick. Do you think you can look after her at your hospital? You have that "genius surgeon" there, don't you?" Sougo requested with a knowing smile.

"…Of course." Emu replied with a smile of his own.

"Will… will he really be able to heal Ui?" Iroha asked hesitantly. "So many doctors have tried before, and none of them… can you promise me that this will be different?" She desperately begged, looking up at Emu with a pain filled, pleading expression. Emu maintained his reassuring smile.

"Don't worry, Dr. Kagami is the best there is." He said. "His bedside manner is… well, non-existent, but so long as Ui-chan has a kind older sister like you by her side, I'm sure she'll get better in no time. I promise."

Iroha looked like she could break down at that very moment. With how serious Ui's condition had apparently been, Sougo couldn't imagine that her previous doctors had been very optimistic with her. Iroha squeezed her hands together over her heart, trying her hardest to keep her tears of relief from falling from her eyes, only able to nod her head in response to Emu's reassurance.

"Also… I'd like you to hold onto this." Sougo interjected. He walked up to Emu, a blank Ridewatch in hand, ridding himself of the last shreds of doubt before presenting the gunmetal grey device to him.

"What is it?" Emu said quizzically.

"We'll meet again sometime in the future, and when we do, this will be what connects us." Sougo cryptically explained, at that moment noticing that Woz had once again vanished after giving his impassioned introduction.

"The future…" Emu said, taking the Ridewatch in hand. He had no idea what exactly it was, but he somehow felt like it was important, and so, trusting in that feeling, he gave Sougo a nod. "Okay, I'll hold onto it." He accepted.

Meanwhile, Geiz, Mami, and Homura watched the scene from afar, no longer transformed and their victory feeling hallow. Mami noticed how Geiz's fists tightened as Emu accepted the blank Ridewatch, completing the time loop that would condemn Kamen Rider Ex-Aid to being erased from history.

"…Let's go." Geiz said bitterly, the trio silently making their way back to their Time Mazine, leaving Zi-O and his cohorts to revel in their triumph.

* * *

_\- 2018 A.D. -_

"Hurry up, Onee-chan!" Tamaki Ui urged excitedly from the top of the steps to Mizuna Shrine.

"Slow down Ui, there's no need to rush!" Iroha scolded, the effectiveness muted by the wide smile on her face as she trotted up the steps to meet the younger pinkette.

Ui had spent two years at Seito University Hospital, and after a hard fought battle with her illness, she finally became well enough to be discharged. Tomorrow was to be her first day back to school, and the sisters had come to offer a prayer to the shrine for good luck.

Meanwhile, Sougo, Madoka, and Sayaka watched the pair from a distance, satisfied smiles on their faces as they watched them talk, laugh, and just enjoy being together.

"Looks like she pulled through after all." Sayaka said.

"Thank goodness." Madoka said, sighing in relief. "I just… wish that we didn't have to sacrifice Dr. Emu's history to do it." She lamented, a crestfallen look appearing on her face.

"…Hey Kaname-san, take a look at this." Sougo said, drawing Madoka's attention to his smartphone.

"…Scientists at the Tokyo Institute of Advanced Matter Physics… make possible breakthrough in clean, renewable energy…?" Madoka read out the title of the article on screen. It was accompanied by a photograph of three scientists crowding around some complicated looking equipment, one of which, Madoka recognized. "Hey, isn't that… Katsuragi Takumi-san!?"

"Whoa, seriously!? That crazy fan boy looking guy was actually a big shot scientist!?" Sayaka said in astonishment.

"That's right." Sougo replied. "Just like Dr. Hojo, Kiryu-san is still out there, fighting for a brighter future for everyone." He mused, looking back up at the Tamaki sisters as they offered their prayers to the shrine. He then took out the Build and Ex-Aid Ridewatches; the small devices containing what remained of the Legend Riders' powers. "I stole their histories as Kamen Riders, but they'll always have their heroic spirit. So, if this is really the only way to stop the Time Jackers from corrupting those histories for their own gain… than I'll give it my best shot to live up to their example, as the heir to the powers of all Riders." He declared, clutching the Ridewatches with determination. Madoka and Sayaka looked pleased with his resolve, trading approving smiles with each other.

"Ugh, now you're starting to sound like Woz." Sayaka said in a faux-disgusted tone, causing Sougo to drop his determined expression for one of a mild embarrassment.

"Uh... W-Well, I guess it's easier said then done, huh?" He bashfully admitted, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly.

"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll be able to do it." Madoka said with a reassuring smile. "Hey, I know, why don't _we_ pray at the shrine too, for good luck?"

"Yeah, good idea! If those Time Jacker creeps are gonna keep pulling stunts like this, then the three of us have a long fight ahead of us." Sayaka agreed, already making her way to the stone steps.

"Come on, Nakazawa-kun." Madoka beckoned as she followed Sayaka's lead.

"Uh… right." Sougo replied, the girls failing to notice the apprehension in his voice. He looked back down at the Ridewatches in his hand, a pensive look on his face. "The three of us…"

In the end, he put the watches away, following after his classmates as they ascended the stone steps to the shrine.

* * *

"It was very nice to see you again, Homura-chan." Hojo Emu said, he and Homura conversing in the lobby of Seito University Hospital. "I was thrilled to hear that you were finally discharged, and it makes me so happy to see how well you're doing with my own eyes." He professed with a wide smile.

"Thank you, Dr. Hojo." Homura replied with a polite smile. "This hospital had taken such good care of me for many years, so I figured I should pay my respects."

"…I see."

"Well, I must be going now." Homura said, excusing herself with a bow.

"Of course, once again, it was a pleasure to see you again, Homura-chan." Emu replied, returning the bow before Homura began to make for the door. "…Oh, by the way Homura-chan, did you ever manage to clear that game I gave you?"

Homura noticeably flinched at the question, an unreadable expression crossing her features before she quickly reined it in.

"…Yes, it was a very fun game." She replied with the most genuine seeming smile she could muster. "Well, I'll be off then." And with that, she took her leave. The moment she walked through the automatic doors of the hospital, Emu's smile fell into a solemn frown.

"Homura-chan… you're finally healthy, but you still can't truly smile, huh?"

Meanwhile, Homura met back up with Geiz and Mami, who waited for her return out in the front courtyard of the hospital.

"How is he?" Mami inquired.

"He has forgotten everything, about Ex-Aid, about the Another Rider, everything." Homura stoically replied. "He doesn't even remember meeting us in 2016."

"Like Build before him, Kamen Rider Ex-Aid has been erased from history… _damn it_!" Geiz cursed, slamming his fist against a lamppost.

"Are you alright, Akemi-san?" Mami asked Homura.

"We've failed to prevent Zi-O from accumulating more power, so of course I'm just as frustrated as you both are." Homura methodically replied.

"That's… not quite what I meant." Mami insisted, much to Homura's annoyance. She walked right passed her, making her way down the sidewalk towards the main road. However, after a few steps, she stopped, and without turning back around to face them, she spoke.

"…I was in and out of that hospital my whole life, my condition was so rare and serious that the majority of my doctors treated me more like a test subject than a patient. Hojo Emu… was just a little bit kinder to me than that. That's all." With that, Homura continued down the driveway, leaving a solemn and concerned Mami to watch her leave.

"Akemi-san…"

"Don't worry, Zi-O won't get away with this." Geiz asserted, Mami turning her attention to him. "We've given him his one chance, just like you wanted. Now, are you prepared to do what has to be done?" He asked her, crossing his arms and looking her straight in the eye with a sever gaze.

"…Of course, I was prepared from the very beginning." Mami asserted, Geiz nodding in approval as the two veteran warriors traded a determined gaze.

Meanwhile, as Homura walked away from the hospital, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a Ridewatch. It had a blue body with a silver dial and activation button, dated 2016 and marked with an icon that resembled the profile of the knight-like helmet of Kamen Rider Brave. She looked down at the Legend Ridewatch, clutching it in her hand with a determined look on her face, before putting it back in her pocket and continuing down the main road.

Zi-O had won the battle, but they would see to it that he would lose the war.

* * *

**A/N: I know some people aren't going to like how stubborn Geiz, Mami, and Homura are being in their crusade against Zi-O, but they've made their stance very clear in the previous chapter; it doesn't matter how well intentioned Sougo may seem, if he continues to collect Legend Ridewatches and erasing Kamen Riders from history, they're gonna do something about it. **

**Anyway, I know I just complained about my pacing with uploading chapters for my stories in the opening A/N, so I really regret to inform you all that I'll be taking a little bit of a break from writing for my fan fictions for a little while. You see, I run D&D for my friends and we're about to wrap up the pre-written adventure that I've been running for them, so I need to spend the next couple of weeks reading up on the next pre-written module I will be running for them so that we can jump right in once they finish up the material I already have prepared. Because of this, I'll be focusing my writing efforts exclusively on that for a while, so no work on my fan fictions will be getting done for the foreseeable future. Of course, with my upload schedule, month long waits between updates is pretty normal... unfortunately, but I still figured I should let you guys know. It's especially relevant for fans of this particular story, since once I get back to writing fan fiction, I'll be working on a different story, probably Reconnect. **

**TL;DR after this chapter's Omake gets uploaded, don't expect another update for this story for a while.**

**Anyway, I hope you guys have a Happy Halloween, however you decide to celebrate it, and I'll see you all next time!**


	8. Omake 4: Doyle vs Watson

**A/N: So, today's Omake probably won't make much sense if you're unfamiliar with Magia Report, the promotional comic for Magia Record... so I suggest you go familiarize yourself with that before continuing. **

**...**

**OK, you ready now? Alright then, on to the Omake!**

* * *

**Omake 4: Doyle vs Watson**

SETTING: Mikazuki Villa… in the world of Magia Report

(In the cartoonishly stylized living room of Mikazuki Villa, "Iroha-chan" enters)

IROHA-CHAN: Everyone, I'm back~! How did you all like my guest appearance on Horae Magica?

TSURUNO-CHAN: Master Yachiyo, she's back!

YACHIYO-SAN: Quick, restrain her!

IROHA-CHAN: Huh? WHAAA!

("Tsuruno-chan" and "Felicia-chan" pounce on Iroha-chan, the three girls struggling in a dust cloud before Iroha is shown tied to a chair)

IROHA-CHAN: W-What the… what is this!? Yachiyo-san!?

YACHIYO-SAN: I'm sorry Iroha, but this is for your own good! To think that Mifuyu's brainwashing would have an effect on you after all…

IROHA-CHAN: Huh? Wait, what are you talking about!? I'm not brainwashed!"

FELICIA-CHAN: Nice try, but we saw _everything_ you did over in Tokyo and Mitakihara!

TSURUNO-CHAN: In order to save a single person, even if it's your sister, you sacrificed all of those innocent people… isn't that exactly what the Wings of the Magius are doing!?

IROHA-CHAN: W-Well, now that you mention it… it kind of is, isn't it?

TSURUNO-CHAN: SO YOU ADMIT IT!

IROHA-CHAN: What? No, wait, I know what it looks like, but this is just a misunderstanding!

YACHIYO-SAN: I've heard enough. Sana-san, prepare the equipment; we'll do whatever it takes to get our leader back!

("Sana-chan" enters the scene with a cart filled with various torture tools)

SANA-CHAN: Yes!

IROHA-CHAN: NOOOOOOOOOO!

?: Well, well, well, it seems like we have quite the mystery on our hands.

IROHA-CHAN: Huh? That voice...

("Madoka-senpai" comes bursting through the door, wearing a deerstalker cap and smoking a bubble pipe. By her side is a blue tinted silhouette, wearing a bowler hat.)

MADOKA-SENPAI: Worry not, ace detective Madoka Holmes is on the case!

?: Along with her trusty sidekick, Watson-kun!

IROHA-CHAN: Madoka-senpai! And… wait, who are _you_!?

NAKAZAWA-KUN: It's me, Nakazawa.

MADOKA-SENPAI: He only appears in Magia Record as a slightly altered generic sprite after all.

IROHA-CHAN: Oh yeah, that's right…

MADOKA-SENPAI: Now then, let me see if I have this straight. All of you saw what Iroha-chan did as Another Ex-Aid, and now believe that she has been brainwashed by the Wings of the Magius, is that right?

YACHIYO-SAN: That's right! Iroha was vehemently against the Wings of the Magius' "ends justifies the means" mentality, it's her whole reason for fighting against them! So then what other reason could she have for pulling the exact same stunt as them than the fact that she's been brainwashed!?

MADOKA-SENPAI: Hmm, I see, I see (blows on her bubble pipe)… so basically, you're just upset that Iroha-chan was acting out of character in the chapter?

TEAM MIKAZUKI VILLA: THAT'S RIGHT!

IROHA-CHAN: THAT'S IT!?"

MADOKA-SENPAI: Well, under normal circumstances, you'd be right to be suspicious, but your deduction misses a few key details I'm afraid.

YACHIYO-SAN: Oh? And what would they be?

MADOKA-SENPAI: Right, allow me to explain. If you recall, in the last Omake, we discussed Author-san's real life thought process when it came to choosing Iroha as the host for Another Ex-Aid. This is known as the "Doylist Explanation"!

NAKAZAWA-KUN: However, what you all seem to be struggling with is the "Watsonian Explanation", in other words, the in-universe justification for Iroha pulling a 180 on her morals.

TSURUNO-CHAN: Do-Doyle… Wat-son…

FELICIA-CHAN: Wha'sat, can you eat it?

MADOKA-SENPAI: Just be quite and listen for now. Anyway, there are three key details that you have to consider. First: Iroha was not informed of the full details of the Another Rider contract before she agreed to it!

SANA-CHAN: Ah, that's right; Ora-san was very vague and didn't even give Iroha-chan a real explanation.

YACHIYO-SAN: So she was tricked, just like with the Incubators?

NAKAZAWA-KUN: Well, I suppose you could say that. If Ora had actually spelled out that she would have to sacrifice the lives of innocent people in order to cure Ui-chan, who knows if Tamaki-san would have accepted the contract.

IROHA-CHAN: I honestly don't know myself.

YACHIYO-SAN: Fair enough, but why didn't she stop once she realized what she would have to do? It's one thing becoming feral on her first try, but you were still unable to convince her to stop two years later in 2018. How do you explain that?

MADOKA-SENPAI: Elementary, my dear Yachiyo-san. Tell me, do you remember how the Anotherwatches are created?

YACHIYO-SAN: Well… the Time Jackers take a Magical Girl's Soul Gem and puts it in a blank Ridewatch, right?

NAKAZAWA-KUN: Correction, they put a _fully corrupted_ Soul Gem in a blank Ridewatch!

YACHIYO-SAN: *gasp*

MADOKA-SENPAI: That's right, that's a _very_ important distinction to make! Think about it, the Time Jackers prey on Magical Girls who are only mere moments away from becoming Witches. Their souls become frozen in time, trapped in the moment where their hope fell into despair, forced to carry around that grief for who knows how long. In other words, Another Riders are nothing more than sentient Witches! Of course their morals would be corrupted and unsalvageable!

(The members of Mikazuki Villa begin tearing up at this declaration)

SANA-CHAN: Iroha-chan…

TSURUNO-CHAN: To think… she's been suffering like that all that time.

FELICIA-CHAN: WAAAAAHHHH!

IROHA-CHAN: Everyone… so you do understand.

YACHIYO-SAN: I'm so sorry, Iroha. Please forgive us for jumping to conclusions.

(Yachiyo-san unties Iroha-chan)

IROHA-CHAN: That's ok everyone, I'm just glad you understand now.

MADOKA-SENPAI: Well, dear Watson-kun, it looks like our work here is done.

(Madoka-senpai and Nakazawa-kun begin to take their leave)

IROHA-CHAN: …Wait, Madoka-senpai, didn't you say that there were three reasons for my behavior in Horae Magica? What's the third?

MADOKA-SENPAI: Hm? Oh yeah! Third reason: that wasn't even Iroha-chan in the first place!

TEAM MIKAZUKI VILLA: WHAT!?

MADOKA-SENPAI: Horae Magica takes place in an alternate timeline completely separate from Magia Record, and even the original anime, so of course there's going to be some discrepancies over how the Tamaki Iroha in Horae Magica acts compared to canon.

IROHA-CHAN: W-Why didn't you just _start _with that one!? You could have saved us a lot of time!

MADOKA-SENPAI: How mean of you, Iroha-chan. It took Author-san a long time to come up with this punch line, and it's not even that good. Cut him a little slack, ok?

NAKAZAWA-KUN: _You're_ the one being mean here, Kaname-san.

(Iroha-chan faints from the shock, exhaustion, and sheer ridiculousness of the situation. Madoka-senpai and Nakazawa-kun then turn to address the reader.)

NAKAZAWA-KUN: Well, I hope everyone now understands how the Another Rider contract works.

MADOKA-SENPAI: Because by the time the story is finished, _everybody _in Mikazuki Villa will make an appearance as an Another Rider!

MADOKA-SENPAI/NAKAZAWA-KUN: Look forward to it everyone!

_To Be Continued…_

(The camera pans out to reveal the man known as Monkeycyborgninja, lying on his bed and reading the events of the Omake on his phone)

MCN: Wow… the new Magia Report chapter sure is weird.

* * *

**A/N: Anybody else sad that Magia Record NA is shutting down today? I mean, I'm glad we're getting gallery mode, mostly because they extended operations in order to prepare it for us... but I was _really_ looking forward to the second part of the story.**

**Also, quick side note, I made a small addition to the last scene of Chapter 7, so go check that out if you haven't already.**

**Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this stupid little Omake idea I had. I've been wanting to do an Omake based on Magia Report pretty much ever since I decided I would be doing Omakes for this story, and since Magia Record NA is shutting down, I wanted to get it out before then for... timing, I guess? Cutting it a bit close, I know, but I did it, WOOT! Well, like I said before, this will probably be the last update from me for a while, while I focus on writing for my D&D campaigns, so I hope you enjoyed it, and I'll see you all next time!**


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